The 80th Hunger Games: A Time for Revenge
by Emberwind8
Summary: It's the 80th Hunger Games, and Aqua Pyrette, sister of Cato from the 74th Games, is ready to finally get revenge on Katniss Everdeen: By killing her once again Reaped sister, Primrose Everdeen. Will Career tribute Aqua win the Games and kill Prim, or will she fall to the hands of another tribute? Rated T because it's the Hunger Games. Sequel is up!
1. Man (Revised)

**Prologue:**

**I do not own the Hunger Games!**

**Also, this chapter has been revised!**

* * *

_I'm a man_**  
**

_That's what you raised me to be_

_I'm not an identity crisis_

_This was planned_

* * *

Revenge. That's all I need. Revenge on Katniss Everdeen. I want the bittersweet taste of revenge on my tongue. I want to bathe in the glory of others' defeat.  
Oh, I mean both metaphorically and literally speaking. I'm also talking about blood.

I am Aqua, the much-forgotten sister of Cato; and probably the winner of the 80th annual Hunger Games. Right from the start, I've been deemed egotistical.

Truthfully? I am.

"You need to make sure you get up to the stand before anyone else," explains the head trainer, Emberlynn. "You all know that you're the strongest and most fearless of your districts. Do not allow intimidation in numbers to conflict with reaction time." I nod dutifully like the perfect killer I'm to be. I stand with Stingra, Hunter, Parker, Rosie, and Jack, the other trainees planning on representing their Districts. We are all at the Career Training Center in my home District, Two, where a special lot of Careers are trained before going into the Games. Tomorrow is Reaping Day.

"Make a show out of it if you can, push anyone else out of the way. Make yourself look better than everyone else." Emberlynn charmingly strikes her knee between the legs of a dummy. What a wonderful person. "That's how you get sponsors; they want a tribute with confidence and cunning. Whatever happens, just make sure you get up there. You may leave now."

We all have been training together for years, and tomorrow it will pay off. We will be the greatest alliance in Hunger Games history.

**Chapter One:**

I couldn't sleep last night. The excitement was building up, ready to burst. I can let it out today, because today seals my fate: Reaping Day. Waking up is easy, and instead of moping around because I had to wake up at least two hours early, I get straight to work.

When people watch the Reaping, they pay close attention to the tributes, so I know I have to make an impression in not only what I do, but also how I look. For less than a second I think about dressing in something nice, but that's all. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I started my Hunger Games journey looking like a normal teenage girl. I am more than an average teenage girl. I am a proud Career tribute from District Two.

So I put on a plain teal t-shirt, (my favorite color), black jeans, and sleek black combat boots. I pull my hair back into a ponytail, hating that it was naturally pretty and wavy and blonde, of all colors. Innocent. I am not innocent! I am vicious and fearless and deserve to be feared.

There's nothing left for me to do. Any normal person should realize that a girl who doesn't wear a fancy dress to the Reaping is worth their time. I eat a simple breakfast consisting of a piece of toast, milk, and an egg. Waiting for the Reaping is definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.

When my parents finally wake up and get ready as well, we set off for the center of the town for the Reaping. It's the only place that can hold everyone in the District. When I get there the Peacekeepers take my blood sample, and I am free to go stand with the other eighteen year olds. For years I've watched them in envy, hoping that one day that would be me volunteering.

My time has finally come.

On the other side of the square I see Parker, the other Career representing District Two. We exchange a glance, but nothing more. No one needs to know we're volunteering this year. My parents don't even know. You see, they've become overly protective of me ever since Cato died. I've made countless excuses to attend the training session, including studying, feeding the poor, and others. We stand here for a while waiting for the rest of the District to come. Every minute feels like an unbearable hour.

At last I see Emberlynn walk onto the stage. She's also District Two's escort, thankfully.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment I'm sure you've been waiting for all year: Reaping Day! It's time to pick our two tributes…" I appreciate how Emberlynn isn't like a typical escort. Those are frilly and giggly and optimistic. She dresses in dark clothes and minimal makeup.

Emberlynn puts her hand in the boys' jar first. She opens up the card, and clears her throat. "The male tribute is… Jordan Orville!"

As soon as she says the name, at least ten boys shout "I volunteer as tribute!" including Parker. Luckily, Parker is faster than the rest of them. He sprints to stage, already in front of the devastated teens. Emberlynn smiles as he leaps up the stairs.

"Please tell us your name." Emberlynn clasps her hands.

"Parker Brown," he smirks.

"Congratulations on being District Two's male tribute, Parker! And now for the girls."

My heart races as she dips her hand in the jar. All too slowly she lets her fingers swirl around the countless names. Finally Emberlynn snatches a strip, and a horrifying thought clings to my mind. What if that's my name? I won't be able to volunteer, and common sense will tell you several others want the coveted spot.

I throw the idea aside. I have to concentrate on being the first volunteer. Everything I am depends on this moment.

"Myleena Ganum!"

I scream into the air, along with a few others, "I volunteer as tribute!"

A girl standing two rows in front of me jumps out at the same time as I do, along with some others behind me. I catch up to her quickly, and push her to ground. I run past her and get up on the stage. Emberlynn looks pleased to see me.

"What is your name?" she asks me, even though she knows the answer.

"Aqua Pyrette," I boast, knowing that this is the name to stick for generations to come.

"Congratulations on being District Two's male and female tributes. Now shake hands," she says.

We do. This is my time to show the world that my family never stops trying. I wave to my District as Emberlynn escorts us off of the stage.

"I'm so glad both of you made it!" she exclaims. "Aqua, I think you just gained some sponsors; Parker, too. Now each of you will have a few minutes to say goodbye to insignificant others. Then you will board the train. After the departure of the train, know that there is no turning back. Not there is now, of course."

Parker and I each go into separate rooms where we would meet relatives saying goodbye. The door bursts open seconds later, and I see my parents. They were crying. Well, that would be an understatement. My parents were bawling and clinging to each other for support.

"How could you?!" My mother spits with venom. "After what happened to your brother I would've thought you would have the sense to stay back! I can't believe you did this to us!"

I'm shocked. I truly thought that they were crying happy tears, and congratulated me with fervor. I was about to say something back to them, but they had left. I was alone.

The next people to arrive are my best friends, Cat, Scarlett, Hestia, and Peri. They have the polar opposite reaction as my parents. My friends high-five me and tell me how awesome I am. Not that I didn't know that already.

"I can't believe you knocked Chelsea over!" Cat happily exclaims.

It never occurred to me that it was my worst enemy that I pushed down. All I knew is that I was in control; I was the one that crushed someone's dreams. That alone was exhilarating.

"I hadn't even noticed it was her!" My face is hot with pride, warm as the fire I plan to burn my enemies with. "I just don't understand why she would even think about volunteering. She's such a useless weakling." It's a shame Chelsea is in my District. She would've been a nice kill in the arena.

"I know!" agrees Peri, "She was the weakest person in the Career Training Center. What a loser."

"Probably because she was so full of herself," pondered Hestia. "She thought she was this perfect little prodigy, but she totally wasn't." After considering her statement for a moment, she frowned. "Oh, well, you're pretty stuck up, too. But Aqua, you actually have skill!" I chuckled. Most people would be offended by something so bold, but Hestia only boosted my ego.

"Good luck Aqua," chatters Scarlett, standing up. "I hope you kill everyone! We'll be cheering for you back home!"

They all said goodbye and left. The next person in is Chelsea, ironically. She has a gash on her face, presumably from the pavement. It was difficult to tell where the wound and her contorted face separated because she was red-hot in fury and embarrassment.

"I totally hate you, Aqua!" She screams at me. Her voice is scratchy and helpless. "Do you see what you did to me?" Chelsea stamps her foot. "I've always had a better chance at winning than you, and you know it!" Chelsea's features are puffy and ugly, but I don't think that has anything to do with crying.

I bat my eyelashes and pout. "Yeah, you would definitely win the Whiny Games. But I don't think they accept special needs children yet." I smile sweetly.

"Ugh!" she scowls and leaves, slamming the door behind her.

This is officially the best day of my life.

* * *

_'Cause you didn't know_

_What a man was_

_Until I showed you_

* * *

**'Man' by Neko Case**

**What'd you think? Is the revised version better? Tell me in a review!**


	2. Blinding (Revised)

**Chapter Two:**

**Don't own The Hunger Games...**

* * *

_It seems that I have been held_

_In some dreaming state_

_A tourist in the waking world_

_Never quite awake_

* * *

Now it is time to board the train. When I get on, I find that I have my own little compartment, as I deserve. After a bit of scrutiny, the only way I can describe it is beautiful. I don't like to use that flouncy term a lot, but it holds true.

Even though I live in one of the wealthiest districts, that is nothing compared to what the Capitol has to offer. Everything is jewel-encrusted and made from the finest select stones and wood. Flowing silk curtains are tasseled and laced with gold, occasionally revealing the blurred green world outside. On the right side of the room sits a door containing intricate carvings. Curiously, I open it and see the dining area where I realize I will meet my mentor. Emberlynn is already there.

I casually plop down at the middle table which was set for four people. After a few minutes Parker arrives and sits beside me. He, too, is still in shock of the luxury.

In the intensity of awkward silence, Emberlynn speaks. "The Reapings will air shortly, so take mental notes on each and everyone of the tributes." She turns on the television, and I see President Snow announcing the Reapings. After a bit of his speech, the footage cuts to District One's Reaping. I see both Stingra and Hunter dashing to the stage before everyone else. They look a lot different than the normal district one tributes, less glamorous and more vicious. Just like how they were trained.

Next is my Reaping. Parker looks just as dauntless on the clip as he was in real life, but when it gets to me, I am stunned. I bowled Chelsea over in such a way that I appeared more than a mere tribute.

I looked like a victor.

When District Three comes on I observe first a fifteen year old girl named Tonya, then a boy slightly younger named Edison being Reaped. These tributes also looked abnormal, ready to fight instead of scared out of their minds. After that I see my friends Rosie and Jack volunteering. So that means my alliance is all there.

District Five yawns by with a skimpy girl and boy whose names are Victoria and Rayn. The girl is fifteen and the boy twelve. They would be easy targets.

Maya and Blaze represent District Six, her about sixteen and Blaze a couple years younger. Maya appears agile and slightly tough, but she holds a sense of feminism, deteriorating the chances of anyone sponsoring her for skill. She also comes off as mentally unstable and skiddish. Blaze, on the other hand, will be a Bloodbath kill.

District Seven gives it's fate to Karlie and Chuck. Karlie isn't anything to worry about, but Chuck had volunteered for someone and looks ready to kill. They are both sixteen, but he looks big enough to be at least twenty. He is bulging in a not-fat way, towering at least a foot above Karlie. Maybe he will consider joining my alliance.

District Eight has Samantha and Edward, thirteen and fourteen. Edward's limbs are bony and he's not so enthusiastic and this, but Samantha looks like a runner.

I see the weakest pair of tributes yet from Nine, Rayvenn and Bob, thirteen and twelve. Constance and Asher are from ten. Constance is eighteen and a bit of a threat to my victory, but Asher is five years younger and not a problem at all. Eleven has Sophia, twelve, and Alex, fifteen, both easy kills.

I almost watch District Twelve's selection dismissively until I hear the names. Some guy named Cyrus. Hm, okay. Very interesting. But, alas, who other than Primrose Everdeen stands on the stage, frightened as a bunny rabbit.

Well Katniss, what was the point of you volunteering is Prim just gets picked again?

I shudder with glee. Prim still looks as weak as she did six years ago, except now she is not malnourished. It goes unspoken that I have to kill her. Katniss needs to feel the pain I've endured for six long years.

After the Reapings end, our mentor, Enobaria comes in. She sits across from Parker and next to Emberlynn.

"I've been informed you already know the other Careers," she states. "That's great to know. Strengthen your bonds with them as much as possible, but don't get too personal. See how Katniss Everdeen tried to save that stocky bread boy? No funny stuff!" When I hear that name, there's a stale taste in my mouth. "I think that Aqua had gained some sponsors after she pummeled that special needs child trying to volunteer-" Parker stiffles a laugh and I eventually speak.

"Um, sorry ma'am, but she wasn't special needs." Enobaria's dull eyes widen in shock.

"You're kidding. She was so... Anyway, don't think that's enough. Be as ostentatious as possible, whether that includes being charming, or in your case, powerful. Now, what do you conclude about the other tributes?"

"Well, I already know that I'm going to kill Primrose Everdeen in the most painful, agonizing way possible." I crack my knuckles, grinning from ear to ear.

Enobaria looks proud. "I saw that one coming. What about you Parker?" Maybe mentors aren't supposed to pick favorites, but I know I'm hers."

"I think we should try to get Chuck into our alliance, it seems like he's the only one that could win other than the rest of the Careers. The remainder are just pitiful," he rolls his eyes.

"I agree, but I also think that Constance could be a threat. Maybe Maya too," I say.

He chuckles. "Constance, sure. I think Maya's just really upset over-"

"-I think I want Tonya and Edison on our team." He doesn't like being cut off, but we needed to discuss mentally unstable girls and talk of important matters. Like me.

Those tributes had fire in their eyes. As odd as my request sounded, the others seemed to agree. "It can't be the first time district three joined the Careers," says Enobaria. She shrugs. "I just wouldn't rely on them to kill anyone for you." I agree with both of the statements. When Cato was in the Games, the boy from Three was part of his alliance for a very short amount of time until Cato killed him. I wouldn't have relied on him to kill anyone either.

Before anyone could say anything more, we hear sounds coming from outside of the train. Parker and I go to the window, where we see thousands of people from the Capitol cheering for us.

They are literally the oddest people we have ever seen. The citizens dye their hair in any and every color of the rainbow. Their outfits are themed down to sparkly eyelashes, also a part of disgustingly thick layers of makeup. All we can do is try to smile at them as we pass by.

Then we see the Capitol itself. There are towering marble buildings and grassy courtyards with rectangular pools reflecting such a crazy place.

Then the train stops.

* * *

_Felt it in my fists and my feet and the hollows of my eyelids_

_Shaking through my skull, through my spine, and down through my ribs_

_No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone_

* * *

**'Blinding' by Florence + The Machine**

**So what's better? The original or this version? Tell me in a review!**

**But for now, here's a list of the tributes. Who's _your_ favorite?**

**District One:**

Stingra Heart, 17

Hunter Topaz, 16

**District Two:**

Aqua Pyrette, 18

Parker Brown, 18

**District Three:**

Tonya Locks, 15

Edison Well, 14

**District Four:**

Rosie Caspar, 13

Jack Zellman, 16

**District Five:**

Victoria Willow, 15

Rayn Simon, 12

**District Six:**

Maya Kallos, 16

Blaze Hummin, 14

**District Seven:**

Karlie Percy, 16

Chuck Woods, 17

**District Eight:**

Samantha McCollin, 13

Edward Karin, 15

**District Nine:**

Rayvenn Bright, 13

Bob Corrmin, 12

**District Ten:**

Constance Peng, 18

Asher Trett, 17

**District Eleven:**

Sophia Cherrey, 12

Alex Tanner, 15

**District Twelve:**

Primrose Everdeen, 18

Cyrus Juniper, 17


	3. Come A Little Closer (Revised)

**Chapter Three**

**This chapter has been revised!**

* * *

_Heartbreaks_

_The heavy world's upon your shoulders_

_Will we burn or we just smolder_

_Somehow I know I'll find you there_

* * *

This is definitely the most annoying part of the Games: The remake center, the place where the prep team makes us shiny and spotless and over-the-top, so we can be just like them. They don't have to do much to me, as I'm rich enough to clean myself every day. The one thing they do was forcibly curl my hair. I don't have much of a choice; those curlers are hot! Finally, I go to my stylist, Skittora.

"For the tribute parade, we're going to put you and Parker in gladiator outfits," she smiles dreamily.

A gladiator outfit… I choke back old memories and bitterness. That's what Cato wore when he was in the tribute parade.

Skittora dresses me up in the gold gladiator costume. They are supposed to look tough, but the costume gives me the appearance of a doll. I really can't keep still for this long, but I have to. Your outfit gives you sponsors too, sadly. But I guess I'm okay as long as everyone else's outfits are terrible.

"You look wonderful, Aqua!" she gushes.

I turn around and look in the mirror. I guess I really do look good. The gold costumes blends in with my gold hair, which the stylists thankfully minimized any glitter in it. It's quite rare that I dress up for anything, so this feels strange. I'm just glad I don't look too fancy and dressed-up as I'm sure Stingra and Hunter do. I have the urge to laugh, but I might cough out rainbows and sunshine.

"It's time to go to the chariots!" Skittora exclaims brightly. She is nice, but can be extremely annoying.

We enter the stables with Parker and his stylist whom I don't remember the name of. I see the other tributes for the first time in real life, hoping I might be wrong in assuming the majority were weaklings. Sadly, they are.

The costumes are the same as any other year. Nothing about any one of them is extraordinary, special, or different. One's cloaked in sparkly silver, and Three wears it as well. Three's, however, is sharper and more jagged while One is soft and dazzling. Four are deep blue decorated with pastel fish; Five looks like a couple of lightning bolts; Six are train conductors. The tributes of Seven are trees, with I can't imagine is fun to walk in. District Eight wears a bunch of fabric squares, which are definitely not a good fashion statement. Nine's dressed in gold; Ten make an unhappy pair of cattle, and Eleven's farmers. I don't have time to see Prim and her partner before I get in my chariot.

The music starts playing, and Stingra and Hunter ride off. So much for looking tough in front of Panem.

Then Parker and I get in. As we're gliding down the Avenue of Tributes, Parker and I wave to the audience, along with everyone else. I want them to know that I'm rich, I'm happy, and I'm dangerous.

When we at last get to the end, I see Prim. After Katniss won the 74th games, I guess President Snow didn't allow District twelve stylists to do anything extravagant with their costumes, so Prim is wearing a pathetic coal miner costume. I snicker. She deserves it, and I want her dead.

After uneventful announcements we dismount and leave. We finally arrive at the tower where we'll be staying for the first time. I ride up the elevator with Emberlynn and Parker and watch the Capitol surrounding us become smaller and smaller.

Once we get to our floor, I go to my room. It's even nicer than the train. There's an aquarium filled with tiny colorful fish over my oversized velvet bed. A golden chandelier with reflective crystals brings a soft light. As much as I adore it, I don't have time to get comfy; I need to discuss my plans with Parker, Enobaria, and Emberlynn.

I stroll out to the dining room table where Emberlynn and Enobaria are sitting, and Parker joins us. Before we can talk about the Games, we are served a large meal. I'm given a plate of spicy chicken by an Avox, along with cherry juice, a sliced mango, and an array of various cheeses and cheese dips. It's all of my favorite foods rolled up into one meal.

"So let's start where we left off before. You're set with an alliance, you just need a strategy," explains Enobaria.

"I think we should just kill everyone," suggests Parker, grabbing a barbecue rib. "Grab lots of supplies, too."

"We need to think this through a little more," I say. "We can't just slaughter everyone. These are games, so we're going to have to give the gamemakers entertainment. We should at least figure out who to kill first, who to stay away from, and such."

"That's correct, Aqua. If you're going to win you need a much more complex plan," agrees Emberlynn. "Although you have a huge advantage over everyone, you still need to organize yourselves."

"Tomorrow is the first training day, so if you want more people in your alliance, that's your time to get them," explains Enobaria. "And I know you're going to want to go right to the weapons, so if you get Tonya and Edison on your team, have them do the survival things for you." She sips whatever crimson substance fills her glass.

We finish our food and go back to our living quarters. I see a remote and curiously click one of the buttons. The enormous window in front of me no longer displays the Capitol, but a gently blowing field of wheat. Boring.

I click the button again and view something I've never seen before: the ocean. It's deep blue and glimmers in the sunlight. Foamy waves lap upon the white shore. I have always wanted to visit this place, and it is beautiful. With the dull roar calming my tense nerves, I climb into my luxurious bed and sleep so I'm ready for the next day.

* * *

_Earthquakes _

_Shake the dust behind you_

_This world sometimes can blind you_

_Still I know I'll see you there._

* * *

**'Come A Little Closer' by Cage the Elephant**

**Do you like this chapter? If you read the original, is the revised better? Favorite characters? Tell me in a review!**


	4. Serpents (Revised)

**Chapter Four:**

**This chapter has been revised!**

* * *

_Close it on my black eye_

_Feel safe at times_

_Certain emblems_

_Tell me it's time_

* * *

Parker and I arrive to the Training Center early. We're the first people there, aside from assistants and the head trainer herself. Stingra, Hunter, Rosie, and Jack come shortly after us, followed by the rest of the tributes trickling in. We all gather around Atala, the head trainer, as she talks about training and the different stations. When she lets us go, the Careers and I find Edison and Tonya, who look apprehensive and start to walk away from us.

"Hey! You two! Get over here!" I call to them. Some other tributes look over and they muster enough courage to face us. "C'mon guys. We don't bite."

Rosie smiles. "Yet."

I roll my eyes, even if what she said _is _true. "Anyway, how would you like to be part of the Career alliance?"

They both are taken aback by the offer. "Um… I guess so," Tonya chews her lip. "But why us?"

Hunter answers, "Because we need you to do all of the survival stuff while _we_ do the killing. You can still participate in the Bloodbath though." I shoot him a look that says, '_Wow, way to be convincing'._

"And because we need you." I hate acting desperate, but the Careers should have more support. "You both were so fierce during the Reapings; I couldn't dent the fire in your eyes. Please, please help us. It would be an honor." I beam at them.

"Okay then," Edison says. He looks pleased about himself. The pair continues to the next station.

"Nice acting, Aqua," Stingra remarks with a smirk. I slug her in the arm.

"It was necessary, okay?" I try to sound mad, but I'm still laughing.

Next up is Chuck. "Hey," I walk over to him. "Wanna join the Career alliance? We would love to have you. You're so-"

"Sorry, I'm on my own," he shrugs.

I'm fine with his decision. That just means I won't have to worry about killing him.

"Let's go to the stations now," suggests Rosie. I comply and we separate.

I go to a section where there is a vast array of weapons and dummies to attack. I immediately grab a double-sided axe, something I've been training with for a while.

I rush up to a burlap dummy and decapitate it, slice off each and every one of its limbs, and finally strike the firm 'stomach'. The axe feels more different than what I usually train with, but I get used to it the more dummies I maul.

I look around to what my allies are doing. Hunter is spearing some sand-filled fake people a few feet away from me. Stingra is doing the same thing I am, except with a double-sided sword. Jack coats the floor with heaps of sand by smashing dummies with a hammer, and Rosie's at a knife throwing station.

Then I see Prim. She's with Samantha from Eight, and around Tonya and Edison, who are at the survival stations. She looks around and sees me giving her the death glare. She places her palm on her neck, a submissive pose. Prim's eyes widen, and she goes back to what she was doing.

Good. That's what I thought.

Next I see Bob from Nine with the most beautiful weapon of all, the trident. When he releases it, it doesn't even go scrape by the dummy, stopping short in front of it. I am horrified. A weapon like that shouldn't be abused so harshly! I'm about to walk over to stop the nonsense, then I remember that we're not supposed to fight here. Being the clever, resourceful person I am, I quickly find a way to take it without a fight.

"That's a nice weapon you've got there." I smile, but my eyes are cold and hardened. "Mind if I try it out?" Like a coward, he hands the trident over right away and I don't even have to say anything more. I turn it around in my hands to get a feel for how heavy it is, and then step back a few feet. I lock eyes with the pathetic, small Bob and signal him to stand still and watch closely. Pitching the three-pronged beauty with ease, it lands exactly in the middle of the dummy's chest. He is too shocked to move. After plucking the trident out of the dummy, I step back even further. I imagine that the sagging figure is Prim, defenseless and cowering against a tree.

The trident lands in the same spot. I grin and make sure he saw that.

Bob knows to walk away.

When I keep replacing the dummy for Prim, it's like I can't miss.

After a few more shots, I move on to the ropes course. When the tributes in line see me coming, they step away to let me go ahead of them. What nice people! I'll have fun killing them. The person on at this time, Karlie, falls off near the top, causing her mouth to start bleeding. I laugh.

When I get on, it twists, but I stay on and climb on upside down until I am at least ten feet higher, then I get up on the very top. Instead of climbing back down, I jump down and hit the floor with my feet. The tributes stare in awe.

"Aqua! Over here!" Rosie calls from the Gauntlets.

I'd forgotten about the Gauntlets. Rosie, Hunter, Jack, Parker, and Stingra are already over there. I run over and get in line behind Stingra. Rosie leaps on, and manages to jump around the platforms with the trainers hitting her once. Hunter's next, and he isn't as nimble, but he somehow scrapes by. Jack is a little too big to jump high enough while also being swung at by the trainers, so they hit him off with ease. Stingra goes, and almost gets hit a few times but dodges the blows. When I get on, I notice most of the tributes watching, so I have to make a good impression. Which means I can't screw up. No pressure.

I easily jump from platform to platform, though barely dodging every hit, and get to the end bruise-free. I knew I could do that, but never had the chance to. It was actually pretty fun. I hang around with Parker after he goes successfully to watch Rayvenn get hit off right away. I sigh, the quality of these tributes has dwindled through the ages.

I hear a loud sound that interrupts my pondering and see Chuck demolishing a dummy with an axe. He's my only competitor, other than my allies.

I decide to try the knife throwing station next. It isn't one of my strong points, but it's worth a shot. Again, everyone moves out of my way so I could go first, so I grab the knives and get ready. When the first body-shaped board is lit up, I throw it right in the heart. I continue with this for a few minutes, sometimes hitting the head or neck, and I barely miss. I don't even break a sweat, and there's no hesitation to be seen. Every time I throw a knife I hit the place I was aiming for, just an inch or so off at times.

When I finish, I look over to the archery station to see Prim trying to shoot. Sure, she could hit the target, but she isn't very accurate, and sometimes the arrow flies behind the board. I'm glad Katniss and Prim aren't alike. This is fun to watch.

I can see that Samantha is with Prim again, and she is trying to teach her how to shoot more accurately. Samantha is a good archer, but it doesn't bother me. I am better at knife throwing than she is at archery. I almost consider going over there, but I know that I'll either start a fight or try to shoot. Starting a fight isn't a good idea, and I don't want to ruin my reputation by showing everyone how awful of an archer I am, so I let it go.

` I see Edison at the slingshot station instead of survival, but I figure he should be helpful with killing as well as other things. Tonya also sees this and leaves the knot making station and moves on to knives. I return to the battle axe until it's time to leave.

* * *

_Serpents in my mind_

_Looking for your crimes_

_Everything changes in time_

_I don't want mine to this time_

* * *

**'Serpents' by Sharon Van Etten**


	5. I'm Shakin' (Revised)

**Chapter Five:**

* * *

_I feel like I've been run right through the mill_

_And I can't move around and I can't stand still_

* * *

The second and third training days went as well as the first, which made them all uneventful. But, the other Careers and I did a good job of intimidating the remainder of the tributes. We definitely gained the attention of the Gamemakers.

Today we would go in for individual evaluations. The Gamemakers told us to show them one skill in particular, but if I were one of them, I'd be looking for the tribute with the _most _talents. I have several skills to show them, thankfully.

I dress in my training clothes and arrive at the basement via elevator. After I sit next to Hunter and Parker, I notice them tapping their feet and shuffling around. They are not nervous, they just have trouble staying still. Plenty of Careers do; we're always anxious to slaughter and interpret moves.

The remainder of the tributes enter gradually. Finally, I hear a booming voice on a loudspeaker announcing, "Stingra Heart." She begins to enter the room immediately.

_Good luck_, I mouth to her. I wait eagerly in silence for her to finish.

The one weakness we Career tributes have is that everyone knows what you're doing in there. They see us showing off in the training center, but we can't help it, we're just that good. Once the tributes see our scores, they know exactly how good we are at what we do. Our pride becomes a major disadvantage, and we don't know what anyone else is plotting.

Down at the end of the bench I see Prim, chewing her nails. She is jittery and fusses with her ash-blonde hair. I smile. Her pain gives me pleasure.

"Hunter Topaz," the voice rumbles.

Hunter leaves my side and goes off into the secluded room. When I see his score, I'll know how well he can throw a spear… And once I know that, I'll know the chances of me killing him. Or even worse, the chances of him killing me. I don't want to think about that now. Thinking of how you'll kill a close friend isn't the best way to comfort yourself.

Hunter returns and I know I'm next. "Aqua Pyrette," I hear.

My heart is racing faster than it ever has before, possibly other than when I was excepted into the Career Training Center. Parker claps my shoulder when I get up, and all eyes are on me. Everyone wants to know how brutally I'll end up killing them.

I strut down the hallway and wait for the doors to close behind me. Even though I'm slightly afraid, there's no way it's going to show.

Once I enter the seemingly empty room, I see the Gamemakers above, watching my every move.

"Aqua Pyrette, District two," I announce. I expected to squeak or stutter, but the words flow from my mouth loudly and with confidence.

I breathe in and out slowly. I walk over to the station with dummies and various weapons, and take a trident secured in a stand with some other weapons. Stepping back about twenty feet from a dummy, I aim and throw. The trident hits the dummy right in the center of the stomach, precisely where I wanted it.

This time, I pitch towards its head. The three prongs strike the face perfectly.

I glance over at the Gamemakers for a miniscule moment, and it looks like I impress them. That would suffice for most, but I remember what Enobaria said about sponsors: You can always use more. It's the same here. I grab the trident out of the soft 'flesh' of the dummy, and stand back even farther. This time, I will aim for the neck. It is a far more difficult target. I close my eyes, breathe in, open my eyes, breathe out, and throw. The middle point lands in the exact middle of the neck. Collected murmurs indicate that the Gamemakers are pleased.

Now that I've really gotten their attention, I decide to push my luck even farther. I go and get the double-sided axe. Using the same dummy, I slice off everything I can until it is completely demolished. I do not speak to the Gamemakers and barely look at them. Then I leave.

When I get back to District Two's floor, Emberlynn and Enobaria are waiting for me. I know what they are going to ask, so I talk before they can.

"I think I did pretty well," I announce to them.

Emberlynn looks pleased. Enobaria, on the other hand, remains emotionless. "We'll see."

I return to my quarters and collapse on my bed, recalling my Hunger Games journey so far. To put it simply, I gained Panem's attention. I pummeled Chelsea at the Reaping, scared young tributes at the Training Center, and showed the Gamemakers, and soon everybody else, that I can kill in a matter of seconds.

While I'm thinking about all of this, I hear Parker outside, talking to Enobaria and Emberlynn. He's about to go into his room until I call him in.

"Parker, you wanna check out who people are betting on?"

He smiles at me and agrees, "I'm pretty sure that everyone's betting on you winning, but why not."

On the TVs in our rooms there's a channel showcasing each tribute and their odds of winning. Since they don't say anything we don't already know about them, like their age, name, and District, the other tributes are allowed to watch. And the betting odds are based on the Reapings too. When I turn it on, Stingra's on the screen. It has a picture of her, her District one's symbol, and her age, 17. Also, at the bottom are her odds: 5:1. It's pretty good for a Career Tribute. When I click the right arrow on the remote, I see Hunter, whose odds of winning were also 5:1. Then I scroll to me. My odds were higher than both Stingra and Hunter, 3:1, which were also my brother's odds. I smile smugly to Parker.

"We still need to see mine, you know."  
When I go to his page, his odds are 4:1.

"Ha," I say to him.

We have fun looking through the other people's odds, and laughing at some of them. The only other high ones were Rosie's, Jack's, Chuck's, and Constance's, but none were as high as mine or Parker's. Before I know it, it's time for dinner. I eat my food quickly to make sure we didn't miss when they announced the scores. After I finished, I went to my room and got a pen and pad of paper that was supplied in one of my drawers to write down everyone's scores. This was the first time I saw Caesar Flickerman's new colors: Teal, the same color I was wearing during the Reaping. I start to wonder if it's just a coincidence, or if everyone's actually rooting for me.

Stingra was first, of course, as she is from District one. She got a nine, as did Hunter. Then I come on. I have an eleven, the highest known score other than a twelve, but nobody in Hunger Games history has ever gotten a twelve. Parker got a ten, not as good as me, but better than Hunter and Stingra. Tonya gets an eight, and Edison gets a nine. I guess they were a good pair to have in the Career alliance. Rosie gets a ten, and Jack a nine. The only others above seven were Maya with an eight, Chuck with a nine, and Constance with an eight. Prim had a seven, though I have no idea what she could've done to get that, so it was probably a pity score. I decide to go to bed early to have more time to prepare for my interview.

**Training Scores:**

**Stingra Heart, 9**

**Hunter Topaz, 9**

**Aqua Pyrette, 11**

**Parker Brown, 10**

**Tonya Locks, 8**

**Edison Well, 9**

**Rosie Caspar, 10**

**Jack Zellman, 9**

**Victoria Willow, 4**

**Rayn Simon, 3**

**Maya Kallos, 8  
**

**Blaze Hummin, 6**

**Karlie Percy, 6**

**Chuck Woods, 9**

**Samantha McCollin, 7**

**Edward Karin, 5**

**Rayvenn Bright, 6**

**Bob Corrmin, 3**

**Constance Peng, 8**

**Asher Trett, 5**

**Sophia Cherrey, 4**

**Alex Tanner, 6**

**Primrose Everdeen, 7**

**Cyrus Juniper, 3**

* * *

_A storm rocks a ship on the sea_

_The wind shakes the leaves on a tree_

_And I'm a nervous wreck and I'm all shook up_

* * *

**'I'm Shakin'' by Jack White**

**Any surprising scores?**

**What is better in this version of the chapter?**


	6. Trainwreck (Revised)

**Chapter Six:**

**I don't own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

_Patiently, I wait so patiently (patiently I wait and sit and speak)_

_Honestly, I need you honestly (honestly I need you here I'm weak)_

_Constantly, you haunt me constantly (constantly a ghost you're frozen black)_

* * *

As planned, I wake up early in preparation for my interview. I don't have much time to do this, as today is the interview day. I don't need much time anyway; Skittora will do most of the work. I'll still try my best to make sure she doesn't create a girl out of me.

Emberlynn gives me a few tips while we eat. "When anyone's getting their interview, Caesar is going to focus on three main things: Your home life, your training score, and what you think of the Capitol. If your Reaping was interesting enough, he'll ask you about that. That's certainly the case with you. Just make sure not to tell him you knew any of the others beforehand, except Parker. The Capitol doesn't need to know you've been illegally training with people from other Districts. Same with you Parker." He was half asleep until Emberlynn mentioned him.

Enobaria also attempts to help. "Try to focus on a certain personality people will appreciate when they think of you. For either of you, it could be that you're bloodthirsty are prepared to kill, or sarcastic and witty. Just pick something. Also, Aqua, if Caesar mentions Cato, try to show a soft side, whether it's real or not. And please, _don't_ say you're gonna try as hard as you can to kill Prim; everyone loves her. The only person you'll impress will be President Snow. I doubt he's eligible to sponsor you."

"And Parker," Emberlynn chimes in, "try to find something in your life to focus on since nobody's going to know anything about you. Fabricating a touching story can't hurt. Oh, it looks like it's time to go to your prep team… Good luck to both of you!"

As we're walking to our prep teams, Parker must notice the worried look in my eyes. "You nervous?" he asks.

"A little," I admit. "I just really hope Skittora doesn't dress me up _too_ much. Do you think, if I put water on my hands and rub it on my eyes, they'll look like tears?"

"It's a good idea if you can make it work. Are you gonna do it when Caesar asks about Cato?"

"Yeah…" I really do care about my brother, but that's only because he was so strong. Without him, I would've had nobody to teach me the fine details of becoming a Career. Honor was lost in my family. Now it's my turn to redeem it.

It looks like my outfit will be similar to what I wore on Reaping Day. The stylists draw black flames that swirl up my arm. Thankfully, they leave my hair down, the way I usually wear it. I look in the mirror, and I see how dark and evil I look. Sadly, that might change with the outfit.

Skittora seems overly excited about the dress she's giving me. Then again, she's always like this, so it's not a surprise. "I'm sure you've been wondering what I've made for you, Aqua. Don't worry, I knew you wouldn't want something girly, so I'm made a _few _altercations to what the others had in mind! Close your eyes and I'll put you in the dress!"

I can tell that the dress is short and frilly, which is the opposite of what she and I are both going for. Skittora also sticks me in a short-sleeved jacket and short boots that feel a lot like the ones I'd worn to the Capitol.

Skittora squeals in delight. "You can open your eyes now!"

I open them slowly, hoping not to cringe when I could see clearly. I can't believe I actually… like it. Skittora has made me a short frilly dress, as I thought. However, this dress isn't glittery and pinky and poofy, it is bright teal. The frills on it are shredded and make me look dangerous. Or that I'm homeless and weathered. Either way, I'm not more feminine than necessary.

And the jacket is black leather, like something you would see a criminal in. The boots were exactly like the ones I had before, only these are newer looking, and have sharp black spikes all over them. The outfit is amazing.

Skittora is grinning proudly to me when I turn around to congratulate her.

"Wow, this is amazing! I can't believe that you made a frilly dress look like something I would wear by adding the tears! I love it!" I exclaim excitedly. We hug each other, which feels a little odd because I don't really like hugging people.

"Now you go up there and do your best!" she pinches my cheeks and sends me on my way.

Parker and I go into the elevator together. He's wearing a pure black suit and black dress shoes.

"Well aren't you fancy," I remark. He shrugs.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"Pfft. I am dressed like a _warrior._"

Parker laughs. "I guess out stylists had the same idea.

When we get out of the elevator to where the tributes are waiting to go onstage, I have to go between Hunter and Parker again, which means I'll be the third tribute to be interviewed. There's a TV above my head, so I can watch Stingra and Hunter before I go.

Caesar introduces Stingra, walking onto the stage in a puffy red cocktail dress and with red streaks in her hair. Stingra seems to be going for a fun personality.

I snort. That won't last long.

She is a fun person, but watching her brutally murder children doesn't sit well with thinking she's 'fun'.

Hunter goes up next, wearing a dark blue and white suit. He's trying not to show the part of him that'll kill others, but it doesn't seem to be working for him, and he keeps slipping in comments like, "Well, I'd say the killing part isn't a big deal for me," and, "I wouldn't want to one of _those_ weaklings." Thankfully, the audience thinks he's joking.

"Next up, Aqua Pyrette, the girl from District Two!" Caesar exclaims, and the audience goes wild.

I walk up on the stage beaming at the audience, and sit down on the chair facing Caesar Flickerman. I shake his large, warm, hand.

"Well, well, well Aqua, where to start…" He rests his chin on a bejeweled fist. "I guess my first question would be why you volunteered, and _certainly_, what occurred in the process." The audience is on the edge of their seats.  
I smile sweetly to him. "To put it simply, I volunteered because this was my last year I could. I wanted to either show the world what I could do, or, die trying. The honorable way. But I'm pretty sure that's not gonna happen. And if by 'in the process' you mean knocking over another girl, I just did it so I could get to the stage first. I really didn't care what I did before I got there; I just needed to get onstage." I'm trying to act humble about it, like, _Oh, that? It was just a noble act. I had no idea! _Truthfully, I feel exhilarated, proud.

The Caesar and the audience laugh as if I've said something funny, and then Caesar moves on. "Now I'm not sure if all of you in the audience remember this, but in the 74th Hunger Games your brother was a tribute. Would that have anything to do with you volunteering?"

"Yes, actually. My family always wanted one of us to be a victor, so obviously that didn't work out well the first time…"

I suppose this is a good time to start 'crying'. I carefully lift my hands up to my face without spilling the little pocket of water I'd kept in my palm. I place a tiny droplet on each of my eyes while trying to make it look like I am covering my eyes while I cry.

I give a little sniffle and move on. "So this year I wanted to show everyone that my family isn't weak, and that I could win this game."

My act must be good, because some of the audience starts crying and bowing their heads as well.

Caesar pouts. "I'm very sorry for you loss Aqua. How about changing the conversation to your Training Score? How'd you do it?"

I know I'm not supposed to tell, but it's so tempting. "I guess the Gamemakers liked me. The last few days I've been training I got really good with a few weapons, so I'm sure that helped." This whole "humble hero" thing is harder than it looks.

More laughs. I'm either really good at this, or the audience is just that gullible.

He places a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure it did help, Aqua. Now, how is the Capitol different from home life?"

"It's a lot fancier, I can tell you that. I love being able to get my favorite meals just by pressing a button, that's definitely new," I honestly state.

"Yes, that is popular with most people. I see you're wearing the same colors as you did in the Reaping, what was your stylist trying to do with that?"  
"I think she wanted to recreate that kind of look. Maybe it kind of shocked people when they saw me not wearing something dressy at my Reaping, so Skittora wanted to emphasize that."

"I see. Well, I know it sure shocked me! I believe that was part of what gained you so much attention. While we're on the subject, were you trying to become as popular as you became?"  
"No, actually. My Reaping outfit was something I would wear anywhere; I never dress up. Everything after that, things like my Training Score, were things I had to do only to get sponsors. I guess you could actually consider as trying to become popular, right? Other than that though, I was just doing what I had to do."

At this point I'm really surprised that I haven't made anyone hate me. Beside my friends, people loathed me for my coldness and lack of hospitality. In fact, the Capitol seems to love me.

But then Caesar asks something that I can't answer without sounding like the horrible person I am. "I bet you were surprised when you saw Prim Reaped. After all, Katniss killed your brother, Cato," he states sympathetically.  
I don't have time to think about what I'm saying. The words roll from my mouth unfiltered. "Truthfully, my first thought was 'I have to kill her.'" Since I said 'my _first_ thought', the audience found it funny. They won't for long. "It was also my second thought, and the third, and the fourth. Along the way I was also thinking of giving Katniss the same excruciating pain me and my family endured. And if I didn't already say this, I still want her dead and gone."

Now everyone is looking at me, appalled instead of amused. Even Caesar had a disgusted look on his face. I had to say something to recover myself, but what?

"Think about it, how would _you _feel if you saw your own, dear brother die on national television? It was an insult to my family. I wanted so badly to insult the Everdeens. I'm so sorry, everyone, for scaring you like that. I've been bitter all these years since Cato died, and the Reaping must've renewed it. Can't you forgive me, Caesar?" A fleck of mascara irritates my eye, and they're blurry, like I'm about to cry. The audience buys into this.

Now that everyone was contemplating what I've said, they seem to realize what I'm going through. The whole area is deadly quiet.

Caesar interjects. "Indeed, dear Aqua. How could we be so inconsiderate about your situation? It takes so long to recover from losses of loved ones. I'm sure we _all _would react in the same manner." He realizes I am almost out of time, so Caesar ends my interview before I can infuriate anyone else. He perks up. "Be proud, dear! We cannot wait to see you in action. Give it up for Aqua Pyrette, everyone!"

I smile and wave to the audience as I walk off stage. I hope they forget what I said. Stingra and Hunter are standing in the hallway I come into. We'll have to remain here until everyone finishes.

In the meantime, I watch Parker's interview. He's pulls off the charming, friendly, handsome guy very well. I don't pay much attention to the other interviews until Prim comes on.

She's playing sweet and innocent, and concerned about what I'm going to do to her. It's not like she shouldn't be, but why is she acting so weak? I hear her suggest that her and I should make amends and ally with each other. My friends and I double over with laughter.

As I expected, the audience adores Prim. Even though she doesn't have a chance of living, I can tell everyone will sponsor her. Katniss will definitely assist her in that.

The Capitol's residents are crying their eyes out when she talks about being Reaped a second time, without her precious sister to save her. I can't resist laughing like a maniac. She's so pathetic! Her acting skills, along with everything else, are fake and overplayed. They're really going to despise me when I kill her. Something so cruel shouldn't be thought of from me, but I can't help it. I'm warm and fuzzy inside.

When Prim and Cyrus finally finish their interviews, we return to the Training Center tower, where our mentor and escort are waiting for us. They both look like they want to use me as a training dummy.

"Aqua! I told you not to mention Prim, didn't I?" Emberlynn shouts at me. I was really starting to think that she's nicer at the Capitol than District Two, but it looks like I'm sadly mistaken.

"Yes, ma'am," I stutter.

"Exactly! And what did you say?!" she bellows.  
"That I want her dead…"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have said that! Sure, you might've saved yourself in the end. But next time, _don't _slip up!" She grits her teeth.

The feeling of being ashamed turns into anger. "What, so I can't tell people that are going to die that I'm gonna kill them?! Isn't that basically the whole premise of the Games?"

Emberlynn's voice softens. "It is. I know it is, you know it is. Everyone knows it is! Even so, that hurts your chances of winning." She slips into her living quarters without another word.

Enobaria moves on with the conversation. "Aqua, everything up to that point you did very well. Even then, you recovered perfectly.

Parker, you were absolutely _charming._ You were charismatic, and I think quite a few girls will gladly sponsor you. Thank you for helping Aqua as well."

That last comment confuses me, but I guess I'll see what she is talking about now. The interviews are about to be broadcasted. I turn on the TV so we can watch.

When I come on, you can pinpoint the exact moment it went wrong, when Caesar asked what I thought about Prim being Reaped. My expression changed from my cheesy fake smile to when I show my true colors. I _did_ clean myself up in the end, but I can tell everyone wasn't as intrigued as they were in the beginning.

When Parker comes on, he looks perfect. He's not talking not about killing his enemies, which was about the only thing we did before the Reaping happened. He discusses how amazing the Capitol was, and his life in District Two.

"The only bad thing about being in the Hunger Games is that one of my best friends volunteered with me, and only one can come out alive. Obviously Aqua and I are gonna be allies. We work well together, but volunteering with her was definitely a bad idea," he explains. He is genuinely disspointed.

"Wow. Thanks, Parker," I say, grinning. My face falls. "You're right about volunteering. I wish we barely knew each other." He nods solemnly. "I really don't think I would be able to kill you if I had to. I really wish I wouldn't have volunteered now…" My voice trails off.

He stays silent for a few seconds. "What's done is done. Obviously, President Snow can't make us _both_ victors. I really can't believe we did this. And of course with our _only_ friends from One and Four, nonetheless!" He runs calloused fingers through his dark hair. "It was all such a bad choice."

I really never thought about it that way. We really were stupid.

* * *

_Why not wander where she's been?_

_Why forget the hell she's in?_

* * *

**'Trainwreck' by Kopecky Family Band**


	7. Harper Lee (Revised)

**Chapter Seven:**

**Don't own the Hunger Games...**

* * *

_Like a crash, I wait for the impact_

_And like a train, I wait for the smoke_

_Like a storm, I wait for the silence_

_And like a bluff, I wait 'til you fold_

* * *

"Tomorrow's the first day of the Games you know," Parker slips into our conversation about the best weapon ever.

I had totally forgotten about it. How could I? It is the day that will define me forever.

I suddenly remember what that also means. When that all is over, all of my friends will be dead and gone. And I will be alone.

I chew my lip, trying not to dwell on those thoughts. "Do you think we can prepare with the others? It'd be a good idea to go over stuff with them."

Parker shrugs. "I would think so. If they didn't want the tributes to see each other, you'd think they'd keep the ones from the same District separated, too. I'll ask Emberlynn when I find her."

Parker walks off to find Emberlynn while I sat on the couch, watching the later interviews. Apparently, Samantha goes by Sam. That could be nice to know if I end up torturing her at some point.

When Parker returns, Emberlynn is right behind him. "I can get the escorts from One and Four to bring their tributes to our floor, but not Three," she explains. "I'll retrieve them now."

While we're waiting for the others, we watch Prim's interview. The entire audience is sobbing for her. I can't imagine how much medicine she'll get. And of _course _it will be the best in existence, too.

I frown. How am I supposed to kill her when she can just heal herself over and over again?

Just then, I hear the elevator open. Rosie and Jack enter our room, followed by Hunter and Stingra.

"Are we planning for tomorrow?" Jack asks. He looks excited, but something tells me he's a little nervous too. In fact, I'm sure we all are.

"Yeah," I reply, "I think it's best to figure out who's gonna be killed in the beginning. Also, we don't know what the arena's biome is gonna be, so we need to ready for all possible outcomes.

"This is sorta random, but did any of you get the Build-Your-Own-Arena thing?" Rosie ponders. "It was that huge toy that let you design your own Hunger Games."

My eyes light up. "Are you kidding? I love Build-Your-Own-Arena! I had every extension and played with it all of the time, it was _so _addictive! I even had the limited edition tributes that were so hard to find!"

"Same," replies Hunter. "The little weapons were my favorite. Anyway, we need to think about what would happen in each arena. I really hope we a have a different game plan for a desert than a tundra."  
"Exactly," I agree. "No matter what, we should use the Cornucopia as our shelter."  
"Good idea," Stingra agrees. "It'll protect us from wind, cold, sun, or whatever."

After we make plans for the arena, we decide who our first kills will be.

"I think the Bloodbath will take out a lot of the tributes. They seem especially stupid and weak this year," I say. "It'll probably include Victoria, Rayn, Blaze, Karlie, Sam, Edward, Rayvenn, Bob, Asher, Alex, Cyrus, and maybe Prim, but I think she has enough sense to run away." This sounds odd, but I somewhat hope that Prim gets away. I want to relish in her agony myself, rather than see her die by a flying knife.

Parker agrees. "They would be the obvious targets, but I think that if anyone seen as a threat comes to get supplies, we should kill them first. That way, we don't have to worry about them later." We nod collectively.

"I wouldn't be afraid to kill Tonya or Edison, either," Hunter adds. "I don't really trust them. I think that we should all agree not to kill Prim. Aqua deserves to do it herself." I smile. This is why these people are my best friends.  
"Thanks, Hunt. It means a lot," I say honestly.

"We'll just have to wait to see how tomorrow plays out," says Rosie. "Until then, all we can do is hope that none of us are killed." I swallow hard. I don't want them dead.

Everyone leaves except Parker and I.

"This is it." He purses his lips. "The big day is almost here."

I nod. "You ready?"

"I think so. Let's just make sure we kick a lotta ass."

I smile. "Yeah. Well, see you tomorrow," I conclude.

We both walk to our individual rooms and try to get some sleep. I don't know if Parker's out yet, but I'm too excited to even close my eyes. Soon the world will see me killing children without mercy. As awful as it sounds, I can't wait. That's what I was born to do, so I have every right to cherish it.

When I finally fall asleep, I wake up not long afterwards. Parker, already bright-eyed, is poking me in the shoulder.

"Your stylist wanted me to wake you up. It's almost time to go to the arena." I bolt upright, suddenly energized.

Today is the first day of the Games. The lack of sleep doesn't affect me; I'm too full of adrenaline. I know I will suffer the consequences later, but, hey, a little epinephrine never hurt anyone.

When we enter our floor's main room, Emberlynn, Enobaria, Skittora, and Parker's stylist are waiting there for us. As soon as we arrive, Emberlynn and Enobaria say goodbye.

Our stylists take us to the roof. When I look up at the clear blue sky, I see nothing there. When I blink my eyes again, there's a hovercraft above my head.

A ladder drops down, and Parker and I climb in.

The hovercraft is gray and full of lights on the inside. "This is your tracker, Aqua." An unidentified woman sticks a needle in my arm. "So we can see you in the arena." It is only a pinch, and I'm too hyped to notice.

After she's placed the tracker, Parker and I each go into a separate room to eat breakfast. Once I finish the delicious food, I'm taken to a row of seats where a few other tributes are sitting. I'm placed next to Blaze and Sam, Parker directly across from me, next to Constance and Rayn. We just sit there for almost an hour before we reach the arena, and at some point, the windows go black, so I know we _have_ to be close. Finally, everyone's released into the Catacombs, where we will change and be launched into the arena.

After I shower, Skittora dries my hair and dresses me. She puts me in brown cargo pants, hiking boots, a maroon shirt (my District's color), and a maroon jacket, which gives me no idea what the arena will contain. I drain a glass of water until I hear a voice saying that it is launch time.

My heart is beating so intensely I feels as if it could combust at any moment. I'm much more nervous than I expected I would be. It's possible I could die, but it's not likely. I push that thought out of my head and imagine torturing Prim to death. It's much more soothing.

"It's time to get in the tube," Skittora tells me. She waves and gives me a thumbs up.

I mosey into the glass tube. It closes around me, and I know that this is it. I feel myself being lifted up, but around me is only darkness.

Then I see the arena.

* * *

_I sit back, and just watch it happen_

_Just like you, I won't say a word_

* * *

**"Harper Lee" by Little Green Cars**

**Is the revised version better than the original (if you've read it)?**

**Which characters do you expect/want to die in the Bloodbath?**

**Favorite characters so far?**

**Bye byes!**

**~Aoife O'Regan**


	8. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**Chapter Eight:**

**Still don't own The Hunger Games...**

* * *

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid, and contagious_

_Here we are now, entertain us._

* * *

**~Day One~**

Sixty seconds. That's all I have to take in the arena. The platforms are on the top of a circular hill that surrounds the Cornucopia. Going around from the person on my right to the person on my left, this was the order other tributes, including me: Aqua-Asher-Prim-Chuck-Karlie-Cyrus-Maya-Jack-Constance-Edward-Rosie-Bob-Rayvenn-Hunter-Tonya-Alex-Sam-Parker-Sophia-Blaze-Victoria-Edison-Stingra-Rayn-Aqua. There were only two people in my alliance that were to my right; the other five were on the left. After I located them, I realized just how large the Cornucopia actually was: About ten feet tall, six feet wide, and twenty feet deep, the perfect size to camp in. I finally realize that I only have five seconds left. This is my time.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

Everyone sprints off of their pedestals and either head over the hill or to the Cornucopia. My alliance and I are some of the first ones to the Cornucopia, but before we grab weapons, some people, like Chuck, Sam, and Rayvenn, had grabbed a backpack or something else. I go straight for the trident, but before I can grab it, Rayn, the twelve year old boy from five runs into me. He would be my first kill.

I grab onto his shirt collar before he can get up from his fall, punch him in the stomach, shove him to the ground, and step on his throat with my boot. BANG! The first kill of the Games. When I see Constance running away with some daggers, I grab a throwing knife that's in front of me and throw it, but she's too far away and it only hits her shoulder. BANG! I turn around to see Hunter taking a spear out of Karlie's stomach and picking up the backpack she was carrying. I turn around to find someone else to kill, and I see Stingra is busy stabbing Blaze from six with a sword she acquired. BANG! And Edward was being corned by Parker, who has a large pair of hedge trimmers, and odd thing to find in the Cornucopia, but obviously a good weapon. BANG! Parker killed him. BANG! Rosie had just thrown a knife at Alex of eleven. Finally I see Asher running away. I run after him with my trident, easily catch up, and stab him in the back, literally. BANG! He falls to the ground, dead. Once the helicopters come to pick up the bodies, the only people still at the Cornucopia are the Careers, none of which were killed in the Bloodbath.

"Aqua," Tonya quietly says to me, "I think someone's behind you."

Sure enough, Bob from nine is curled up in a ball inside of a leafy bush. I definitely was right about the tributes being stupid. I don't even think he knows the Bloodbath is over, since his eyes are closed and he's got his hands over his ears. I tap him on the shoulder.

"Come on out now, I swear I won't hurt you," I calmly say to him, which is totally not true, but the rest of us muffle our laughter so he thinks I'm serious.

He does, which was a terrible move on his part, and the results are him getting a double-sided axe to the stomach. BANG! His cannon goes off immediately. _ Now_ we are the only ones left.

Jack says what I was thinking, "We can hunt tributes later, but now we need to gather the supplies."

None of the dead tributes have anything on them, so we all grab the stuff around the Cornucopia and decide to separate the stuff into piles based on if they were food or water, medicine, weapons, survival objects, and just random items. Before we can empty all of the backpacks, we hear a high-pitched scream coming from the rocky area to our right.

I take charge, "Jack, Hunter, and Rosie, grab a weapon and come with me. The killer is still probably there, since the cannon hasn't gone off yet."

I grabbed the trident I killed Asher with, Jack got a hammer, (another strange weapon), Rosie got a black vest of throwing knives, and Hunter got a spear. As we run off, we get to a cliff a bit over six feet underground. Below us, Rayvenn, the thirteen year old girl from nine was trying, yet failing, to stab to death Victoria from five.

"Why won't you DIE!" Rayvenn screamed at her, clearly not thinking about the consequences of being loud.

"Obviously because you're weak, and you're hitting her in the _arm_," I very quietly whisper to the other three, who snicker under their breath in response. Somehow saying things like this make me feel better, I'm a really awful person.

Rayvenn finally thinks to hit the red-headed girl's neck, and her cannon goes off. BANG!

She throws her arms up in the air and shouts out loud, "FINALLY!" to nobody in particular.

"Hey Rayvenn!" Rosie tauntingly yells down to her, and Rayvenn goes as white as a bone, "We can show you how to kill a lot quicker!"

Her only response is running away, which doesn't work out very well since we had just jumped down after her and were laughing as she got to the dead-end.

I start taunting her some more, "So what you have to do is either aim for the heart, neck, or skull, but-"

I'm cut off by her doing what I'd just suggested, which is throwing the knife at my heart, but she has such a bad aim that it isn't even close to hitting me, or anyone else, in fact, she might've been aiming for my neck. I laugh some more.

Seeing that that didn't work, Rayvenn start to plead, "Please Aqua, don't kill me, I'll do anything you say!"

This was just sad, "Ha! You couldn't even kill Victoria, so you're clearly not competent enough to help me!"

And with that, I throw my trident at her neck, which lands with the middle spear in the very middle of her neck, just like I did in my Training Session, she's dead immediately dead. BANG!

"I sure showed you, didn't I?" obviously she can't hear me, but it gets a lot of laughs and high-fives from Jack, Hunter, and Rosie.

"Guys, I've gotta admit, I was pretty nervous when I was in the launch room. I was wondering what would happen if I were to die… But now, even though I'm killing a bunch of teenagers, I feel better," I confess, "But what bothers me is that we're all friends in the Games _together._ It really won't end well, only one of us can survive…"

While we're thinking about my comment, Jack notices what the rest of us have disregarded, "Ummm…How are we supposed to get back up?"

We stand here in the middle of a ditch, stunned. I'm pretty sure Hunter's the only one that was tall enough to get out, which he realizes too, "I'll try to climb up, and then come back with rope or something to get the rest of you out. But if I can't escape, I guess we'll just have to yell for the others."

Luckily, he's able to climb out. I don't even know if he had gotten back to the camp when we hear a scream that sounded way too much like Hunter's voice, and a cannon. BANG!

"He could've killed the other person…" says Rosie with a worried tone, but we can tell that she's just trying to avoid the obvious.

Even though we haven't come back to camp, our alliance hasn't come to rescue us. We sit around the ditch, bored, as it starts to get dark. That means that the killer wouldn't be able to see us, but we have weapons just in case. Just then, the Capitol's anthem starts to play, and we see the face of the fallen:

To confirm our guess that Hunter was dead, his face was the first to appear in the sky, since he was from District one, which probably comes as a surprise to the rest of the Careers, and probably the other tributes as well. Then there was Victoria and Rayn from five, Blaze of six, Karlie of seven, Edward of eight, Rayvenn and Bob of nine, Asher of ten, and Alex of eleven. Ten dead, fourteen left alive.

With no hope of getting out today, and without the need of food or water yet, Rosie, Jack, and I decide to spend the night in this ditch. It's cold and uncomfortable, yet bearable.

* * *

_I'm worse at what I do best_

_And for this gift I feel blessed_

_Our little group has always been_

_And always will until the end_

* * *

**'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana**

**Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know in your reviews what characters you like and some ideas for later chapters, I'm thinking about redoing the next chapters. Keep reading!**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

**Stingra Heart, 17, 9**

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9- killed by someone, (?), when he went to the camp in the dark- 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11**

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

**Tonya Locks, 15, 8**

**Edison Well, 14, 9**

**District Four**

**Rosie Caspar, 13, 10**

**Jack Zellman, 16, 9**

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4- killed by Rayvenn when he repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck- 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when he stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath- 24th place

**District Six**

**Maya Kallos, 16, 8**

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6- killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath- 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6- killed by Hunter when he speared her when she was running away from the Bloodbath with supplies- 23rd place

**Chuck Woods, 17, 9**

**District Eight**

**Samantha McCollin, 13, 7**

Edward Karin, 15, 5- killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers during the Bloodbath- 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6- killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her throat- 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when he came out of hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her battle axe- 18th place

**District Ten**

**Constance Peng, 18, 8**

Asher Trett, 17, 5- killed by Aqua when she stabbed him in the back with her trident during the Bloodbath- 19th place

**District Eleven**

**Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4**

Alex Tanner, 15, 6- killed by Rosie when she threw at knife at him during the Bloodbath- 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

**Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3**


	9. Undertow

**Chapter Nine:**

**I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!**

* * *

_What's the matter? _

_You hurt yourself? _

_Open your eyes and there was someone else_

* * *

We wake up to the sound of a high-pitched scream directly above us. I see that Constance of ten has Sophia of eleven pinned against a tree with a dagger to her throat.

She slits the little girl's neck. BANG! Her cannon sounds as soon as Constance releases her. She runs off while the helicopter takes Sophia's body away. One more dead.

Apparently it had rained last night while I was sleeping. We were dry, but the dirt packed around us had turned muddy.

That gave me an idea, "Since the dirt wall is all muddy, I can stick my trident into it to use as a foothold for us to climb out."

The trident slides in easily, and works for Rosie and Jack as they escape. I take it out, give it to Rosie. I know she won't leave me in here or kill me since we've been friends all through Career Training. I'm friends with almost my entire alliance, excluding Tonya and Edison, who I just met a few days ago, I would kill them in a second if I had to. Jack pulls me out, and we set off for our camp at the Cornucopia. The walk isn't very long.

"Why were you gone so long?" Parker asks, "We kept waiting for you to come back, but eventually went to sleep because it was too dark to venture out."

"And what happened to Hunter?" adds Stingra.

"We found the source of the screaming when we got to the rocky area. Rayvenn was stabbing Victoria in a huge pit with dirt walls. I killed Rayvenn, but then Jack realized that Hunter was the only one who could get out of the ditch. So he did, and he was going to come back to the camp to get rope, but he was killed before he could even get to you guys. Since it was getting dark, we decided to spend the night in the pit. So when we woke up, we realized that it had rained last night, and I slid my trident into the wall, which we used as a foothold to climb out," I explain to Parker, Stingra, Tonya, and Edison.

"I was really worried that the cannon that just went off was for one of you," says Parker.

"That was for Sophia from eleven, Constance of ten slit her throat right above us," explains Rosie.

"So can we eat now?" asks Jack.

"Yeah," says Stingra, "take anything from the food pile, just not a lot, and you can have as much water as you can drink, there's a spring close by that hasn't been poisoned."

"While you were gone, we figured out that the area has four sections: A bog, a forest, the rocky area, and a meadow," says Edison, "we think that Chuck, Sam, and Prim retreated to the forest, Cyrus went to the bog, and Maya went to the meadow."

"And we were thinking about going to the bog later today," adds Tonya, "Edison and I already went there and found that the water's poisonous. Edison dipped his darts in it."

I think about the proposal, then reply, "I think we should wait until tomorrow morning to go to the bog, when everyone else is sleeping. Today, someone should go to the spring to collect more water in case of an emergency. Also, I'm pretty sure Constance ran to the bog after killing Sophia."

"Me and Tonya can go get the water," says Stingra, "the rest of you should stay here until we come back."

"Fine," agrees Rosie.

Stingra gets her sword, Tonya grabs a knife, and they leave. While the Careers and I are sitting around waiting for Tonya and Stingra to get back, another cannon booms. BANG! They'd probably killed someone that was also getting water. Not long after we'd heard the cannon, Stingra comes running back with some filled water bottles and her sword.

"We got water, but after we'd filled the bottles, a ginormous squid-mutt appeared in the water and killed Tonya!" she exclaims.

Oh well. I didn't know her enough to care about her death. Now we don't have anything to do except wait for tributes to come to us, but I think our performances in the Training Center were enough to scare everyone away. In the meantime, I decide to set up a sleeping bag inside of the Cornucopia. Without Hunter and Tonya, there are enough sleeping bags for everyone to be able to have one if one person is on watch at the time. Since there were only four people sleeping at the camp last night, the bags are spread out away from each other, but adding more people means that they'll have to be closer to each other

Today was boring. First, I was trapped in a hole, then I escaped, then another member of my alliance was killed, and then nothing else happened. It's getting dark, so the Careers and I decide to take hour-long shifts at night. But before we sleep, the faces of the fallen come on. While the Capitol's anthem is playing, I see only Tonya and Sophia. Clearly it has been an uneventful day. The Gamemakers will have to think of something to kill off more tributes.

I take first watch while the rest of my alliance crawls into their sleeping bags in the Cornucopia. It's very eerie; there isn't even the rustling of little woodland creatures nearby. My hour goes by pretty fast, and after it's over, I wake up Parker and switch sleeping bags with him. It seems strange to me that I could go to sleep faster here than I could at home.

* * *

_Do you really want to be the one to fight? _

_And I said you're better not to light that fire_

* * *

**'Undertow' by Warpaint**

**Please review and tell me what you like and what I could improve on! It would make me very happy!**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

**Stingra Heart, 17, 9**

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9- killed by someone, (?), when he went to the camp in the dark- 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11**

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8- killed by squid-mutt when trying to get fresh water- 13th place

**Edison Well, 14, 9**

**District Four**

**Rosie Caspar, 13, 10**

**Jack Zellman, 16, 9**

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4- killed by Rayvenn when he repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck- 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when he stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath- 24th place

**District Six**

**Maya Kallos, 16, 8**

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6- killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath- 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6- killed by Hunter when he speared her when she was running away from the Bloodbath with supplies- 23rd place

**Chuck Woods, 17, 9**

**District Eight**

**Samantha McCollin, 13, 7**

Edward Karin, 15, 5- killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers during the Bloodbath- 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6- killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her throat- 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when he came out of hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her battle axe- 18th place

**District Ten**

**Constance Peng, 18, 8**

Asher Trett, 17, 5- killed by Aqua when she stabbed him in the back with her trident during the Bloodbath- 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4- killed by Constance when she slit her throat- 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6- killed by Rosie when she threw at knife at him during the Bloodbath- 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

**Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3**


	10. What Doesn't Kill You

**Chapter Ten:**

**The Hunger Games is not owned by me sadly...**

* * *

_What doesn't kill you, what doesn't hurt_

_Sometimes you feel you're up against the world_

_What doesn't kill you, what doesn't break_

_This life it seems can bring you to your knees_

_You try, you bleed, then finally you breathe._

* * *

I awake to Stingra not-so-gently kicking me in the back. I help her wake the rest of the Careers up in the same way. Once we're all up, Edison hands out water bottles, a chunk of wheat bread, and part of an apple to everyone. It seems sponsors won't really be needed, we have almost every piece of food and weapon in the entire arena. Finally, we hear a tribute close by. Everyone silently grabs a weapon and creeps around the Cornucopia to see who it is.

The person come right up to us, unarmed. Not a good move on their part. Then again, it wasn't the first time a District twelve tribute in the Hunger Game did something stupid. This time, it's Prim's District partner, Cyrus. I'm not exactly sure what he was expecting to see, but by the way he is shivering and looking frightened, it wasn't a bunch of armed Career tributes. This is getting weird. He had been standing in front of us in fear for at least thirty second, just staring at us and our camp. I am officially annoyed and confused.

"So do you just want to stand there and wait to get killed or what?" I threateningly ask him.

Don't judge me because I'm simply stating a fact, I mean, that's exactly what he's doing.

He finally talks, and everyone's listening, "I want to join your alliance," he says quietly.

There was about a second of awkward silence, but then we all just completely crack up, even including Edison. While we're laughing our brains out, he tries to sprint away, only to be grabbed by me. His terrified look was priceless, I wish Hunter were here to see it.

"I don't know why you thought that we would even consider your offer, you should know that anyone that's from District twelve has absolutely _no_ chance of joining a Career alliance. None. The fact that Primrose Everdeen was the tribute also Reaped from your District certainly doesn't make me want to kill you any less, in fact, it makes me want you dead even more."

There's a perplexed look on his face. I guess he didn't know about my brother and Prim's sister.

Rosie notices this too, "If you didn't know, Prim's sister, Katniss, killed Aqua's brother, Cato."

Knowing that Cyrus was at least not stupid enough to run away, I let go of him. At this point, we had all surrounded him, armed with various weapons. But Parker, to everyone's astonishment, dropped his hedge trimmers. But now, not to anyone's astonishment, he punches Cyrus in the stomach and he collapses on the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Parker slowly walks up to him.

"Rosie, and me a knife," he ominously says.

Rosie reaches into one of her vest's pockets and pulls out a bigger knife than the other. She hands it to Parker. He's twisting it around in his hand, deciding what to do, when I guess he figures out something. He stabs Cyrus in the chest, the side not containing the heart. The seventeen year old screeches in pain, which results in the rest of us chuckling like psychopaths. From there, Parker switches out with Jack, who has his hammer with him. Since Cyrus is lying on the ground, Jack shoves his boot in his face, making his nose crack in a painful sounding way that could only mean that it was broken. He kneels over, still with his boot in Cyrus' face, and delivers the death-blow to the side of his head. BANG! Emberlynn must be so proud of him.

"Now that that lunatic's finished off, you guys should go to the bog," says Rosie, "there's just enough time to get there before everyone wakes up. Good luck and happy killing."

While she and Parker stay behind, Edison, Jack, Stingra, and I each pack a backpack with food, water, and small knives, and also take our other weapons. With six Career tributes and only five others, it will be hard to find someone to kill, but we are determined. We can tell that we are close when the air starts to smell of acid and poison, it's truly vile. When we can finally see the poisonous water, we can also see a person kneeling over it. It's Sophia's killer, Constance. We silently decide with our eyes that Jack and I will attack. We creep down to the water until we are around five feet away from Constance and the water's edge. From here we can see that she was dipping a set of daggers into the bog. They make a sizzling sound when they come out. She has a good idea, but it seems like something that wouldn't work with a group of Careers standing behind her.

No longer oblivious of our presence, Constance sees a reflection of Jack and I in the boiling water. As she spins around, I sharply kick her in the face, but she sees it coming, and quickly dodges the blow. Unfortunately for me, when my foot comes down, it lands partially in the 'water'. My boot burns off where it hits the water, but it doesn't stop there.

"OW!" I scream in pain as the acid reaches my foot. The pain is horrible. It feels like my toe is burning off. I even start to get a bit drowsy, but I snap myself out of it. I'm smart enough not to go after Constance again, so I leave it to Jack. When I look over, he had just hit her with his hammer, and she fall into the bog. Every spot on her skin turns into a huge boil as it touches the acid, definitely the most disturbing part of the Games so far. I savor it. BANG! Her cannon goes off. As her disgusting body floats farther down into the bog, an alligator-like mutt snatches her body in its gargantuan mouth, leaving an opaque cloud of red, from the blood, and yellow, from the boils.

When I can't see her anymore, I look over at Jack. He has a deep cut on his cheek from one of Constance's daggers. One of her _poisoned _daggers. I can tell by the look in his blue eyes that he is becoming lightheaded. Then he passes out.

"JACK!" I yell, hoping he can hear me, but I know he can't. He lands with his black hair in the bog, which is burning off. Before any of us can pull him away, the alligator mutt comes back up, grabs Jack's head, and pulls him under. BANG! He is instantly dead.

For the first time in the Games, I cry. Not only because of Jack's death, but also because of how bad my foot hurt. But I push back more tears when Stingra and Edison come over. I have to face the truth.

"I'll help you up," kindly says Stingra. I don't want Edison to think that I'm weak, but I can't walk on my foot, so I accept Stingra's offer.

I limp over to the camp on Stingra's shoulder, and when we get back, Parker and Rosie are waiting for us. This won't be good.

"What happened to you, Aqua?" Parker worriedly asks me when I limp in.

"And who died?" curiously asks Rosie. Stingra and I exchange worried glances. Rosie and Jack were good friends in District Four. She won't be happy to find out that he was dead.

Stingra breaks the news to her, "Well… After Jack killed Constance, he might've fallen into the poisonous water too… I'm so sorry Rosie…"

I looks like Rosie was going to cry for the first time as well. I can even see tears welling up in her brown eyes. Before we can try to comfort her, she runs into the Cornucopia with her hands over her face. I always knew that she would break down when he died. Up until now, I'd known that they were friends, but now I'm thinking that they were a little more than just friends.

Parker breaks the silence, "So what happened to you?"

"After trying to kick Constance into the bog, my foot hit the water, and the poison seeped its way to my flesh," I explain.

"I don't think we should go back there, it's much too dangerous," adds Stingra.

Just then, I hear a silvery tune. When I look up, a silver parachute is descending to the ground. It lands directly in front of me. As I twist open the metal lid, I hope that what's inside is medicine. But before I see the contents, I read the little note on the top:

"You should know what to do with this. Use more than once, Enobaria," I read aloud. As I hoped, there was medicine inside. It's creamy white. When I carefully take off my boot and sock, I see my foot for the first time: It's red and bulging, and part of my big toe had been scorched off, as I thought. I put a little bit of the cream on my fingers and smear it all over my foot. It burns at first, and I stifle a scream. But before long, the pain starts to disappear.

I reapply the cream more throughout the day while sitting around with the others. Rosie had never come out of the Cornucopia, and is still lying in silence at the tip. At the end of the day, I see the faces of the fallen: First up is Jack, and I look over to Rosie, and she has tears welling up in her eyes again. After that, it's Constance, then Cyrus. When I see Cyrus, I wonder how Prim's doing. I hope she's suffering. I have a feeling that she's with Sam, and she will probably keep her safe. I just wish she wouldn't care about Prim, and that Prim was starving and alone. But that's irrational, sadly.

There's only nine left now.

* * *

_His hands are on his nose_

_His blood is on his clothes_

* * *

**'What Doesn't Kill You' by Jake Bugg**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review, follow, and favorite! It makes very happy! What do you think so far? I think this is my favorite chapter yet. Anyways, who do _you _****want to win? Tell me in your review or a PM if ****necessary! Goodbye for now!**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

**Stingra Heart, 17, 9**

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9- killed by someone, (?), when he went back to the camp in the dark- 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11**

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8- killed by squid-mutt when she went to get fresh water- 13th place

**Edison Well, 14, 9**

**District Four**

**Rosie Caspar, 13, 10**

Jack Zellman, 16, 9- poisoned by Constance's daggers, then killed by the acid bog water- 10th place

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4- killed by Rayvenn when she repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck- 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when she stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath- 24th place

**District Six**

**Maya Kallos, 16, 8**

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6- killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath- 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6- killed by Hunter when he speared her when she tried to run away from the Bloodbath- 23rd place

**Chuck Woods, 17, 9**

**District Eight**

**Samantha McCollin, 13, 7**

Edward Karin, 15, 5- killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers in the Bloodbath- 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6- killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her neck- 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3- killed by Aqua when he came out from hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her axe- 18th place

**District Ten**

Constance Peng, 18, 8- killed by Jack when he hit her into the poison bog with his hammer- 11th place

Asher Trett, 17, 5- stabbed in the back by Aqua with her trident when he was running from the Bloodbath- 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4- killed by Constance when she slit her throat- 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6- killed by Rosie when she threw a knife at him in the Bloodbath- 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3- killed by Parker when he stabbed him with a knife and then hit his head with his hammer- 12th place


	11. Heavy In Your Arms

**Chapter Eleven:**

**I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES!**

* * *

_Whispering it like it's a secret_

_Uttered to condemn the one who hears it_

_With a heavy heart_

* * *

"AHHHH!" For the second time in the Games, I wake up to a scream. Parker, Rosie, Edison, and I look outside of the Cornucopia to find Stingra locked in battle with Maya from District Six.

Maya attacked Stingra with a bludgeon, hitting her in the shoulder. It erupts with blood. Stingra then slices Maya's cheek with her sword when trying to hit her throat. Not planning on being defeated, Maya aims a hard blow to her skull. BOOM! Stingra's cannon goes off instantly. I can't believe this; Stingra should've easily killed her. I'm truly stunned. I wonder if Maya knows the rest of us were here.

As if to answer my thought, Maya looks over to us and start to speak like a crazy girl, "I know you're there. If you want to live, well, you won't with me here. You see how easily I killed that girl from one? I can do the same to every one of you too…"

Rosie sprints out of hiding with her knives at Maya. I guess she couldn't stand to see another one of her friends die. Maya notices quickly, and I can see evil in her eyes as Rosie gets to her. She pulls up her bludgeon and tries to hit Rosie in the chest, but she dodges and it misses her completely. Rosie is fast, she runs behind Maya and tackles her and pushes her to the ground. Maya turns to Rosie to keep her face off the grass, as well as to speak some meaningful words.

"Just because you train doesn't mean you always win. I'm still in this, but you won't be for much longer!"

Rosie realizes what Maya's about to do and stabs the larger girl in the back. She winces and it sounds like she's holding back a scream.

"You think you're still in this?" she menacingly asks Maya, "I don't."

Rosie slits Maya's wrists and blood violently spurts out. Rosie's vest is soaked in the dark red liquid.

"Just because I'm about to die doesn't mean you'll win! I hope none of you monsters end up claiming victory!" she says with her dying breath. BANG! She's dead.

I'm a little confused as to what just happened. All I remember is two consecutive deaths, first Stingra, and then Maya. Also, Maya wants us to die. No surprise there, it seems everybody does. The helicopter comes to get Stingra and Maya's corpses, and Rosie, Parker, Edison, and I just stand there and watch.

"You wanna go to the meadow?" Parker privately asks me.

"Yeah…" I answer, "I just need to get away from here."

We walk silently over to the west where we find wildflowers growing, but we are smart enough to not to go near them, because it is almost certain that they are poisonous. The scenery is calming, green grass, blue sky, and fluffy white clouds, something I'm hoping to see again in my lifetime. Parker and I sit down on the ground. In District Two, it was hard to find somewhere to just lie around and watch the clouds; the terrain is mostly mountainous and rocky. But I've heard that in Victor's Village there was field behind the mansions, I guess the victors need a place to relax and get away from their bloody memories.

Parker finally breaks the silence, "You know, there are only seven left."

In all of this serenity, I almost forget what he's talking about, "I know… It's almost over. I can only hope that training pays off and I get to go home. And if I do win, I need to live knowing that I've gotten my long-awaited revenge. Killing Prim will be the greatest achievement of my life."

"Yeah. When she dies, she needs to fall to your hands. If you were to win with someone else killing her, knowing you, you would murder Katniss during the Victory Tour," he says, "Hey, did you even wonder what President Snow would think if you killed Prim? I think he'd really appreciate it, I mean, you know how much he hated Katniss after she tried to win with that other guy? Making her suffer would gain you a place in a list of his favorite people. Maybe he would even consider letting us both win, just to show Katniss that how much he hates her. That he favors you much more than her."

I had to think a bit about what he had just said, then I figured it out, "Oh my gosh! You're right! We could win together if I torture Prim enough. Parker, you're a genius!"

He looks proud of himself, "I know I am."

Before I could congratulate him more, I hear a sound coming from the camp, and it's definitely not a pleasant sound. Parker hears it too, and we dart back to the Cornucopia. When we get back, Edison's gone, and Rosie's clothes are bloodstained, and she looks like she's in agony.

"He… He stabbed me and ran, I couldn't catch him. I'm so sorry Aqua and Parker, I might not make it through this," she mumbles.

I run to get the medicine I got for my foot, which I'd hidden in my sleeping bag. I smear some on Rosie's back, where the knife had entered her body. I can tell she's about to pass out, but after a few seconds, I can see more life in her eyes.

"I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him…" she keeps whispering to herself. I can tell she's not completely 'with it' yet. I think about asking her where he went, but I decide to leave her alone for a little longer.

"Hey Aqua, look at this," Parker says while pointing at our piles of supplies. I walk over, and can see a noticeable difference, "Edison took a bunch of stuff with him. Most of the food is gone, and some weapons we weren't carrying."

"He deserves to die, slowly and painfully" I reply, "No one can rob the Career and get away with it."

After a while, Rosie stopped muttering and looks around, confused, "What exactly just happened?" she asks.

I answer, "Edison attacked you while we were gone, and I think you were just pretty dizzy and out of it."

I can see fire in her eyes now, "He did _what_? I'm gonna track him down and kill him. That jerk's gonna pay."

"Before you do that, I'd suggest keeping calm for a while. Your wound looks better than it did when we came here. Aqua's medicine is working well," Parker calmingly reassures her.

Rosie goes back inside the Cornucopia and lies down while me and Parker sit outside. "I wish I could go through this without knowing anyone," I state, "I can stand watching my friends die or get injured. This isn't what I wanted when I volunteered. Life in the arena would be so much more enjoyable if all you had to do was worry about keeping yourself alive, not just the other people."

"I agree. This is getting to be too much to handle. All I want to do is leave. I know almost all former Career tributes love killing teens, they didn't care who died while they became victor. Earning respect and popularity is top on their list, not protecting people they know."

The rest of the day is spent watching the camp and listening for cannons. Rosie's recovering quickly; the wound wasn't very deep or life-threatening. Finally when it starts to get dark, the Capitol's anthem starts playing. In the sky I see only the faces of Stingra and Maya. The daily death count will start decreasing fast now that there are only seven left, and most of them are part of alliances: There's Parker, Rosie, and I in the Career alliance, Prim and Samantha in a partnership, and then Chuck and Edison, who are most likely in solitude.

"I'll take first watch tonight," Parker says, "we'll both just go back and forth so Rosie doesn't have to get up."

"Okay. Let's do two hour intervals though," I suggest. Parker agrees, and I go in the Cornucopia, step over Rosie, get into my sleeping bag, and fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

_And is it worth the wait, all this killing time_

_Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mine_

_Who is the betrayer, who's the killer in the crowd? _

_The one who creeps in corridors, and doesn't make a sound_

* * *

**'Heavy In Your Arms' by Florence + The Machine**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

Stingra Heart, 17, 9 (killed by Maya when she hit her skull with her bludgeon) 9th place

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9 (killed by someone, (?), when he went back to the camp in the dark) 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11 **

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8 (killed by squid-mutt when she went to get fresh water) 13th place

**Edison Well, 14, 9 **

**District Four**

**Rosie Caspar, 13, 10 **

Jack Zellman, 16, 9 (poisoned by Constance's daggers, then killed by the acid bog water) 10th place

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4 (killed by Rayvenn when she repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck) 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when she stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath) 24th place

**District Six**

Maya Kallos, 16, 8 (killed by Rosie when she slit her wrists and died from blood loss) 8th place

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6 (killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath) 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6 (killed by Hunter when he speared her when she tried to run away from the Bloodbath) 23rd place

**Chuck Woods, 17, 9 **

**District Eight**

**Samantha McCollin, 13, 7**

Edward Karin, 15, 5 (killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers in the Bloodbath) 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6 (killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her neck) 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when he came out from hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her axe) 18th place

**District Ten**

Constance Peng, 18, 8 (killed by Jack when he hit her into the poison bog with his hammer) 11th place

Asher Trett, 17, 5 (stabbed in the back by Aqua with her trident when he was running from the Bloodbath) 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4 (killed by Constance when she slit her throat) 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6 (killed by Rosie when she threw a knife at him in the Bloodbath) 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3 (killed by Parker when he stabbed him with a knife and then hit his head with his hammer) 12th place


	12. Fever

**Chapter Twelve:**

**I DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES**

**By the way, if you are looking for romance in here, you're out of luck. But, my friend who's also my editor has put up and edited version (with romance) on Her Wattpad account. The story is called 'A Time for Revenge: The Hunger Games story', and her username is 'Mayciann'.**

* * *

_You used to be a blessing_

_But fever's got me stressing_

_Realize I have been played_

_But fever let my play the game, f__ever_

* * *

I'm on watch when the sun rises in the 'sky'. I wake up Rosie and Parker carefully, making sure not to touch Rosie's gash, which is cleaned up and healing. When I turn back to face the outside of the Cornucopia, I see pedestals rising out of the ground. After watching eighteen Hunger Games, I know what this means: There's gonna be a feast. There weren't any packs on the platforms yet, because we would've just taken all of them, not because we needed them, but to deprive the others of what they desperately need.

I take a portion of food from the pile to eat for breakfast, as do Parker and Rosie. After eating, I hear a voice come out from a speaker somewhere in the arena.

"There will be a feast at the Cornucopia today. It will commence in an hour. May the odds be ever in your favor."

"We need to get ready for this. Everyone, grab a weapon and be prepared. This might be our chance to kill off the remaining tributes," I announce.

We wait for the time to come, and when it does, we're prepared. Once we can see the first tribute coming down the hill, Chuck, the packs randomly appear on the pedestals. There's one for each tribute, so seven in total. I'm about to get mine, Parker's, and Rosie's packs, but Parker stops me.

"Don't let Chuck now we're here. Wait for him to come to us."

He's carrying a large axe that could easily decapitate someone. Before he gets down the hill, Edison comes running down the other side with a scythe we had in the weapons pile before he stole it. This was about to get real. Rosie sees Edison too, and runs out of the Cornucopia screaming death threats to him. This isn't good. Since Rosie blew our cover, Parker and I jump out, ready to face Chuck. I have my battle axe and he has his hedge trimmers. It always seems funny to see him about to kill someone with them, it's like, 'I'm so awesome I'm gonna kill you with a gardening tool.' But now it wasn't laughable, it was serious.

Chuck aims the first blow to my neck, but I leap down and he hits the air. From the ground, I hit his ankle, which spurts out blood. In his anger, Chuck hurls the blunt end of his axe at Parker, which hits him in the head and seems to knock him unconscious. Chuck seems to forget about me and tries to deal a final blow to Parker, but I swing at his back. I guess he heard it coming, because he turns and it only cuts his upper arm. Sadly, it wasn't the arms he handles the axe with. Before I can do anything else, Chuck slices my arm. It's very deep and painful, but I can still fight, with weapons, I've learned to be somewhat ambidextrous, but I'm still not very good with my left hand.

With much less force than intended, I wedge my axe into his stomach, and pull it out. Somehow, I barely faze him, and he shoves me into the wall of the Cornucopia, stands over me, and puts his axe to my neck. It can't be over, not yet.

"You remember that guy from One?" Chuck asks me instead of killing me. Oh, the commentary is about to begin, "Remember how he, let's say, 'disappeared' at night that time? I killed him. I can see his whole alliance can be easily defeated too…"

Without knowing what I'm doing, I forcefully kick him in the stomach, the part where I'd recently cut him. It spurts even more blood than the first time. He screeches in agony. I pick up my axe and stab him in the heart. His eyes go wide, and he falls over. BANG! I won the fight. When I look to my right, Rosie and Edison are still battling, but it looks like Edison is losing. Rosie has him in a headlock and is cutting into his flesh with a small throwing knife. Finally, she stabs into his throat. BANG! She releases him and he falls to the ground.

While Rosie walks back to me, the helicopters come to take Chuck and Edison. Then I remember Parker. He's lying on the ground with his eyes closed and he isn't moving.

"Parker…?" He doesn't respond in the slightest. I rush over to him and listen to his heartbeat. It's slow, but it's there. I push on his chest for a few seconds, and finally, he opens his eyes. I've never been more relieved in my life. Parker blinks a couple times and looks around from where he's lying. He sits up and rubs his head. There's a bulging blue bruise on his forehead.

"Did you kill him?" he drearily asks me.

"Yes. I almost died, but I pulled through. Rosie killed Edison too," I whisper to him, and start to cry happy tears. I don't think I could be happier than I am now.

"Good."

I leave him there to gather his senses, and take all of the bags. Nobody had claimed them except us. Inside mine was more cream for my foot, using it on Rosie had wasted the rest of it. In Parker's was some other kind of cream, like the Gamemakers knew he would get hurt. In Edison's was water, he must've ran out of the stolen water. In Rosie's was, again, medicine, but this was specifically for her cut. In Chuck's was thin rope to use for snares. I guess he was catching his own food. In Sam's was the same thing, plus water. Lastly, in Prim's was a knife and a water bottle. I hope they starve without their bags.

I apply the paste to my foot and give Rosie some for her back. Since Parker is still out of sorts, I place the cream on his head. After a while, the swelling decreases.

"I wonder if Prim or Sam will ever come for their packs…" wonders Rosie.

"Doubtful," I reply, "I don't think they have anything to fight with. Also, they're smart enough to stay away from other tributes."

"I guess so."

I wonder what my friends and family back in District Two are thinking right now. I hope they're proud of me. I know my friends are, but maybe not my parents. I hope they realize I can come back home, because I will. Parker and I will both go home as victors. Hopefully.

Later that day, the faces of the fallen come on. First Chuck, then Edison. Rosie takes first watch, so Parker and I go to sleep in the Cornucopia. Only a few more days left.

* * *

_Fever got me guilty_

_Just go ahead and kill me_

_Fever why don't you explain_

_Break it down again_

* * *

**'Fever' by The Black Keys**

**Only a few more chapters left! Just kidding! I'm actually going to start over with Prim's POV when it's down to the last three. 'A vampire hunger games', I have accepted your request! Keep reading everyone, and if any of you readers love the 'Warrior Cats' series, please read my story 'The Return of SkyClan', I'll pick up with it after this is finished. PLEASE R/R!**

**Also, PLEASE check out my profile! I've been working very hard on it and I barely get any views! Plus, there's a preview for my upcoming story 'Flickering Flames', a Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus Fanfiction!**

_**Also,**_** I be putting a summary of each tribute on my profile tomorrow or later today, so if you want to learn more about them, PLEASE READ IT!**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

Stingra Heart, 17, 9 (killed by Maya when she hit her skull with her bludgeon) 9th place

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9 (killed by Chuck, when he went back to the camp in the dark) 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11 **

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8 (killed by squid-mutt when she went to get fresh water) 13th place

Edison Well, 14, 9 (killed by Rosie when she stabbed him in the throat with a throwing knife) 6th place

**District Four**

**Rosie Caspar, 13, 10 **

Jack Zellman, 16, 9 (poisoned by Constance's daggers, then killed by the acid bog water) 10th place

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4 (killed by Rayvenn when she repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck) 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when she stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath) 24th place

**District Six**

Maya Kallos, 16, 8 (killed by Rosie when she slit her wrists and died from blood loss) 8th place

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6 (killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath) 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6 (killed by Hunter when he speared her when she tried to run away from the Bloodbath) 23rd place

Chuck Woods, 17, 9 (killed by Aqua when she stabbed him in the heart with her battle axe) 7th place

**District Eight**

**Samantha McCollin, 13, 7**

Edward Karin, 15, 5 (killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers in the Bloodbath) 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6 (killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her neck) 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when he came out from hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her axe) 18th place

**District Ten**

Constance Peng, 18, 8 (killed by Jack when he hit her into the poison bog with his hammer) 11th place

Asher Trett, 17, 5 (stabbed in the back by Aqua with her trident when he was running from the Bloodbath) 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4 (killed by Constance when she slit her throat) 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6 (killed by Rosie when she threw a knife at him in the Bloodbath) 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3 (killed by Parker when he stabbed him with a knife and then hit his head with his hammer) 12th place


	13. Miriam

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**I do not own The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does.**

**The moment you've all been waiting for... Aqua meeting Prim. This is rather short, but that's okay. There wasn't much to say.**

**Please check out my profile! Thanks!**

* * *

_And I'm trying not to hurt you_

_'Cause you might not be that bad_

_But it takes a lot to make me go this mad_

* * *

Nineteen dead, five alive. There's me, Parker, Rosie, Sam, and Prim. It felt weird sleeping in the Cornucopia without my other friends, it was cold and empty. The arena seems dreary and is emanating pale gray mist, which is swirling on the ground at my feet. Today I will get my revenge. I've waited far too long for this moment, it's time for Prim' family to grieve, not mine.

"Today we attack," I decide out loud. Parker and Rosie have fire in their eyes, I can tell that they're ready for this to end. For me to torture Prim and win with Parker, with hopefully, but then again not hopefully, Rosie dying in the process. I know President Snow wouldn't let all three of us win, it would be too much.

"So we're going to the forest?" asks Rosie.

"We'll go there first, and we'll fight if they're there," Parker says, "this will be the last day."

We pack up some backpacks with medicine, water, food, and lots of weapons. After preparing, we trek over the hill to the edge of the forest. The trees stretch on for miles, it would be impossible to find them if they were at the end. All we can do I hope that they haven't gone far.

We enter the forest, and find that it's much cooler than out in the open, as expected. Before long, we find traces of life: A small, temporary camp equipped with snares and bits of inedible food. Sadly, I'm pretty sure it's from Chuck, or something left behind by anyone. We don't stop to check it out anymore, there's no use. About an hour of hiking goes by with no Sam or Prim, but I don't lose hope, I can't. If I don't kill Prim, going into the Games would have no meaning. Obviously I didn't know she was going to be Reaped when I volunteered, I did it to show the world what I could do, to become rich and famous, and to give my parents a victor. But now, it was personal. Finally, I hear a noise. Off in the distance, I can see, though difficultly, someone running. My time had finally come.

"GO!" I yell to the others, who sprint after me. I've never been the best runner when thinking about endurance, but I'm compelled to keep going. I know I'm catching up when I hear another set of footstep alongside the original ones. My legs are screaming at me to stop, but I can't.

I eventually see them running. Prim and Sam are side by side, and they realize I'm gaining on them. They exchange a glance, stop, and turn. Apparently Prim has a knife, and Sam has a bow and a quiver of arrows, but I have a trident, and Parker and Rosie have something with them too. Sam makes the first move: Shooting at me. The arrow gets close to my body, but I use my trident to deflect it, no harm done. There's panic in her eyes, but she hides it from her face. She shoots again, aiming at me, but changing direction at the last minute and hitting Rosie's neck. BANG!

It's two to two, but we're coming for them. I go to Prim, and Parker to Sam. They both run, but Sam slips and Parker grabs her collar and pushes her to the ground. He very violently punctures her stomach with the hedge trimmers, leaving sticky, dark blood spraying them both. Sam screams in pain, and finally Parker stabs down farther, causing her to perish. BANG! Three left.

Prim isn't slowing down; she may even be sprinting at a quicker pace. But neither am I. I spurt forward, grabbing onto her and pulling her down.

"I know that the Games are almost over," I murderously say to her, "but to me it seems that they've only just begun." This is my time to shine.

* * *

_You know you've done me wrong_

_I'm gonna smile when_

_I take your life_

* * *

**'Miriam' by Norah Jones**

**Yes, I know you hate me know. Heehee. Next chapter will be the first day of the Games, in Prim's POV. You'll have to wait five or so chapters until the victor is announced, so please follow!**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

Stingra Heart, 17, 9 (killed by Maya when she hit her skull with her bludgeon) 9th place

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9 (killed by Chuck when he went back to the camp in the dark) 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11 **

**Parker Brown, 18, 10**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8 (swollowed by squid-mutt when she went to get fresh water) 13th place

Edison Well, 14, 9 (killed by Rosie when she stabbed him in the throat with a throwing knife) 6th place

**District Four**

Rosie Caspar, 13, 10 (killed by Samantha when she shot an arrow into her neck) 5th place

Jack Zellman, 16, 9 (poisoned by Constance's daggers, then killed by the acid bog water) 10th place

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4 (killed by Rayvenn when she repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck) 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when she stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath) 24th place

**District Six**

Maya Kallos, 16, 8 (killed by Rosie when she slit her wrists and died from blood loss) 8th place

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6 (killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath) 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6 (killed by Hunter when he speared her when she tried to run away from the Bloodbath) 23rd place

Chuck Woods, 17, 9 (killed by Aqua when she stabbed him in the heart with her battle axe) 7th place

**District Eight**

Samantha McCollin, 13, 7 (killed by Parker when he cut her stomach open with his hedge trimmers) 4th place

Edward Karin, 15, 5 (killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers in the Bloodbath) 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6 (killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her neck) 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when he came out from hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her axe) 18th place

**District Ten**

Constance Peng, 18, 8 (killed by Jack when he hit her into the poison bog with his hammer) 11th place

Asher Trett, 17, 5 (stabbed in the back by Aqua with her trident when he was running from the Bloodbath) 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4 (killed by Constance when she slit her throat) 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6 (killed by Rosie when she threw a knife at him in the Bloodbath) 20th place

**District Twelve**

**Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7**

Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3 (killed by Parker when he stabbed him with a knife and then hit his head with his hammer) 12th place


	14. Ghost

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**I do not own the Hunger Games**

**Yeah, I know I said I would begin with the first day of the Games... But I didn't feel like it. More had to be explained. So, enjoy!**

* * *

_If there is a line I'll cross it_

_No lesson will I learn_

_Even if I'm standing on it_

_No bridge that I won't burn_

_Coming back to where we started_

_I'm only passing through_

_I've become a ghost in your garden_

_Fading into view_

* * *

I know it's Reaping Day, but it doesn't bother as much anymore. But that's not to say that it doesn't bother me at all. After I was Reaped six years ago, I knew that the odds were in no-one's favor, even the twelve year old girl with only one slip of paper could wind up fighting for her life in the arena. After my sister, Katniss won the 74th Games, I know how to survive. Being forced to watch her, out there in the wilderness, I've caught on to that way of doing things. I don't need to, obviously, I live in Victor's Village, but still, if the time were ever to come that I would have to compete, I could do it.

After waking, I clothe in a plain blue dress, much like the one Katniss had worn. She and Mom are already awake, and when I come out to the dining room table, my breakfast has been prepared. After eating, I walk out with my family to the town's square, where many children are waiting.

"Good luck," Katniss says to me as I go to get my blood sample taken. The pinch doesn't bother me anymore. I stand in the back with the other eighteen year olds, but none of my friends are in sight. After a few more minutes, Effie Trinket struts onto the stage. She's wearing a short, baby-blue dress equipped with a thick layer of hideous makeup. It's quite disturbing, actually.

"Hello everyone!" she gleefully begins, "Today will be the day we choose one lucky boy and girl to compete in the 80th annual Hunger Games! May the odds be _ever _in your favor. And as usual, ladies first!"

I don't understand how she can be so joyful when she's sending two teens to their deaths. Her hand swirls around in the bowl, reaching for just the right slip of paper. Without any tesserae taken, I have seven in their total. I know I won't be me. Won't it? She finally feels the right one, and pulls it out. The envelope is opened.

"District Twelve's female tribute is…" _Not me, not me, _"Primrose Everdeen!"

I feel my heart literally stopped when I heard my name called again. Katniss couldn't save me, not this time. I step out of the crowd and feel hundreds of eyes staring holes into my skin. Effie even looks at me in horror. Nobody volunteers for me. This can't be stopped. She tries to smile at me, but it looks forced and unreal.

"And now for the boys," she declares. Once again, her hand enters another glass bowl. She picks a name from the bottom. "Cyrus Juniper."

The name sounds familiar to me. When Cyrus comes onstage, I recognize him from my school. He's a year younger than me. I can see his fear seeping from his veins as he stumbles upon to the stage. People like him were the ones you would see and feel bad for. A child of the children from the Seam, malnourished and thin as a bone.

"Now shake hands," Effie tells us. His hand is shaking wildly, but I know mine is too. "Everyone, meet your tributes!" This was when you were supposed to clap. I'd never seen it here, but in Districts One, Two, and usually Four, the crowd would go wild, knowing that their tribute would most likely emerge victorious.

Effie takes us to the back of the stage to a set of rooms designed for the tributes to say goodbye to their families, usually forever. When I enter, Mom and Katniss run in. I've never seen them so distraught. They're hugging me and crying, and so am I. I can't come back. No. I _will_ come back. They can't even seem to force out words until they leave: "You have to win Prim, you have to." Before the door is shut behind them, Katniss throws me some sort of gold ring. It's her mockingjay pin. To keep me safe.

Next in are my friends from school. They can't control themselves either. We're all trying to comfort each other, but it's no use. They won't be able to cope with this. I can't see one more person now, the pain is becoming unbearable.

Since I'm not letting anyone else in, Effie takes me to the train. "It's time to leave, Prim."

* * *

_Last words, never written down_

_Been so long since I've been gone_

_Doubt if you'll know me at all_

* * *

**'Ghost' by Jeremy Messersmith**


	15. Funeral Beds

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**I do not own the Hunger Games**

* * *

_The fastest bullet flying_

_So quick nobody ever feel no pain_

* * *

**I know last chapter was the Reaping, but this will be the first day of the Games in Prim's POV. Yes, this chapter should be Prim's train ride, but I ran out of ideas for this, as well as the training center, individual sessions, etc. Here's a brief overview of what happened though:**

-During the train ride, Prim, Cyrus, and Katniss decided to stay out of the Bloodbath, form an alliance, and to stay alive.

-Prim was humiliated during the chariot rides when she was dressed as a coal miner, but the audience still loved her.

-Also during the chariot rides, Prim found someone glaring at her, but she didn't know why… I wonder who that was…

-Prim made an alliance with Samantha from District Eight, and they did stuff at the survival stations instead of weapons.

-Katniss finally tells Prim that she killed Aqua's brother, and they figure she's out to get her.

-Prim showed skills with edible plants during her individual session, earning her a seven.

-Everyone loved Prim at her interview and cried the whole time, and she even mentioned something about forgetting about what her sister did, and making an alliance with Aqua. (Obviously this never happened.)

-Now we're at the first day.

Sixty seconds. I'm sixty seconds away from sure death. When I look around to my left, two people away is Aqua. And my only ally, Sam, is on the opposite side. We lock eyes. We'd decided that she would get something from around the Cornucopia while I ran away. Fifty seconds. I can only hope she doesn't die, but she's too fast to catch, so I shouldn't be worried. Forty seconds. On the other side of the Cornucopia are a bow and a quiver of arrows, right in front of Sam. Thirty seconds. To my right is the huge boy from seven, Chuck. I'll make sure to stay away from him. Twenty seconds. There aren't any more Careers near me, thankfully. Nobody who could easily kill me. Scanning the ring of pedestals around the Cornucopia, I see the alliance of Rayn, Victoria, Asher, Alex, and Blaze about to run. I heard them talking about fighting the Careers at the Bloodbath. I would've intervened, but if they would all die, I'd have a better shot of winning. Ten seconds. My heart is beating like a drum as the timer keeps decreasing. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Zero.

I run like the wind over the hill and smash myself against the side of it, between two bushes. BANG! The first cannon goes off. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Six in total. I hear someone running towards me. It's Sam. Before she can speak, another cannon goes off. BANG! Eight lives lost in the Bloodbath.

"We have to get out of here, _now_!" Sam exclaims. We run to the forest section of the arena. I know there will be plenty of cover. We don't talk; just keep running until we're far from the Cornucopia. My knees are shaking from the sprint, but Sam looks barely fazed. Under the shade of a tree, Sam and I make what we can of a camp.

"What did you get?" I ask her.

"The bow and arrows of course, and this pack," she replies. She opens the pack, and inside was a small loaf of bread, a metal water bottle, not filled, and a pack of something used for purifying water. I don't remember what it's called.

"I guess we should find a source of water. The sooner we start searching, the better chances of finding one," I say.

"Yeah," she says, "we have to stick together though."

We start out walking away from the direction of the Cornucopia. Eventually, I find a wet patch of dirt.  
"Sam! Look over here!" She comes over quickly, and her eyes widen when she sees the watery soil. We follow a trail of it to a small pool of water. I'm about to dip my hand in it, when Sam pushes my hand away.

"You don't know what's in there! You could boil your hand off by just touching it!" She's right. I was stupid. "Put it in the bottle and then the purifier." I take the bottle and use it to scoop up the water, then pour a little bit of the packet into it. I put the lid back on and shake it.

"How do we test it?" I ask. She looks puzzled. I take a risk, and pour the slightest bit onto my arm. I await a burning sensation, but nothing happens. "It's fine."

"We shouldn't drink any until we really need to. Same with eating the food."

"Okay."

BANG! Sam and I hear another cannon.

We stroll back to the same area where we originally settled. Everything is so surreal and quiet; it's not at all what I'd expected. Nobody around us, no anything.

BANG! A cannon sounds from far away, signaling another dead tribute.

"So Prim," Sam starts, "what's the deal with that girl from Two?"

I guess I'd never told her. "You know how my sister won the Games? Of course you do. Well anyway, she killed this one guy named Cato; he was a Career from Two. It turns out Aqua's his younger sister. So obviously she wants me dead as revenge."

"Wow. That's not good," she states, "at least we have the bow."

"Yeah… But did you see her in the training center? And she got an eleven! And also, she clearly said during her interview she wanted to kill me!"

"Don't worry too much about it, I bet her and the other Careers will be too caught up in killing the tributes around them to worry about anyone hiding in the forest."

I know what she says is partially true. Yes, they would start with the slaughter of the tributes nearby and not go after us, but they would eventually. With Aqua's obsession with my murder, I'm bound to die.

BANG! It's getting dark, another tribute has fallen. That makes ten in total for day one.

When the arena's sun goes down, the faces of the fallen come up: To my surprise, the first is Hunter, from District One. It seems unusual that a Career would die so quickly. Next are Victoria, Rayn, Blaze, Karlie, Edward, Rayvenn, Bob, Asher, and Alex. The entire alliance fighting the Careers was killed, plus some more. I think through who's left: There's Stingra from One, both Aqua and Parker from Two, Tonya and Edison of Three, Rosie and Jack of Four, nobody from five, Maya from Six, Chuck from Seven, of course Sam, nobody from nine, Constance from Ten, Sophia from Eleven, and Cyrus and I from Twelve. It's no surprise the Careers are mostly still alive, as well as Chuck, Maya, and Constance, but the others surprise me. Sophia was only twelve, and I really thought Cyrus would be gone quickly as well. I guess I underestimated them.

* * *

_And I'm struggling and I'm stumbling_

_And I need to start_

_I'm struggling, and I'm stumbling_

_I need you in my heart_

* * *

**'Funeral Beds' by The Districts**

**The next six chapters will the the Games in Prim's POV. So... read and review!**


	16. My Love Took Me Down To The River

**Chapter Sixteen:**

**I do not own the Hunger Games**

* * *

_I lay on the ground_

_I try to scream_

_But no sound did come out_

_I could only bleed_

* * *

_"Well Prim, I never thought I'd have the chance to do this."_

_ Aqua stands over me, knife in hand. She's come to kill me. She's come to get her revenge. She plunges the knife through the air, down to where I lay…_

BANG!

"Prim! Prim, wake up!"

Sam is talking into my ear, not Aqua. I wake up in a cold sweat and see her frightened face.

"You were saying something in your sleep. I figured you were having a bad dream," she says.

"Thanks for waking me," I reply, "I dreamt that Aqua was about to kill me. And did a cannon actually just go off, or was that part of my dream?"

"It was real."

I've been having dreams like that since I first found out that Aqua sincerely hated me. That's always how they end, I never die, yet something tells me that I don't live either. I bet that if I ever do meet Aqua in the Games, about that same thing will happen.

"We should go looking for more water later today. And also make a complete camp," she explains.

She's right. We are already running out of water, and our camp consists of really nothing, we just have the backpack and supplies lying around on the forest floor.

"Maybe we should go back to the Cornucopia to see what stuff was left behind," I suggest.

"Okay."

We each take a small sip of water in case there isn't a source close by, as well as a bit off of the loaf of bread. After that, we take a walk to the east to where Sam told me was a meadow to find water. We take all of our supplies in case someone would rob us or if we would run into another tribute. We find the edge of the forest and see the trees start to thin out. On the other side is a grassy meadow with pink and purple wildflowers. Off in the distance we can see something that the sun is reflecting off of. Probably a body of water. Sam exchanges a glance with me, signaling that she saw it too.

We creep off to the light, which we now see is in fact a body of water, a spring. Thankfully, nobody is in the meadow or by the spring, so Sam and I can get the water and get back to the forest. Once up close, we can see that the spring is extremely deep, so we can't see what is at the bottom. I'm a bit worried about this, as there is probably some sort of muttation lurking down there.

Sam makes the first move, and plunges the water bottle into the spring. I cringe, waiting for something to come and bite her hand off, but nothing comes. I give a quiet sigh of relief. Suddenly, we hear a faint sound coming from the direction of the Cornucopia. I panic, and try to find somewhere to hide. Beside the spring is a tree covered in green leaves and low branches. I motion for Sam to follow me as I climb up into the shelter of the leaves. We easily maneuver ourselves up the tree, and out of sight from the coming tributes.

We finally see them: it's two Careers, Stingra from One, and Tonya from Three. I guess Tonya was a Career, she went into the Bloodbath, and she's with another Career right now. They too have water bottles to fill, only they have about eight or nine of them, enough to hydrate each member of their alliance. Stingra stands behind Tonya as she fills the bottles. Tonya is filling the last one, when a dark shape appears in the spring. Her eyes go wide, and the creature comes out of the water. It seems to be something like a squid, only monstrous and terrifying. Stingra abandons Tonya and runs away with the filled bottles, but Tonya isn't so lucky. The squid grabs her with a slimy tentacle and swallows her whole. BANG! It spits her lifeless body out.

Sam looks horrified, I know I am. This was the first time of the Games I'd ever seen anyone die, even though this was the twelfth death. I was right about there being a mutt though. And I'm sure glad it didn't come out when Sam and I were at the water.

"We should probably go now," she finally says. I agree with her.

We cross the meadow to the Cornucopia, but we then hear another tribute. Now we have nowhere to hide. It's the unstable girl from Six, Maya. She has a bludgeon, and she is running towards us with it. I have no weapon, but Sam has her bow. She quickly places an arrow in it, and aims it at Maya, who seems to have no fear. Sam releases the arrow, but Maya is quick, and she dodges it and continues to sprint closer and closer to us.

Before Sam can shoot again, she gets to us. She laughs evilly and swings her bludgeon at Sam, and it hits her shoulder. Sam stifles a wail, and lets go of her bow's string, which was holding an arrow. It flies at Maya, and hits her hard, as she was directly in front of Sam. It lodges itself in Maya's arm, she screams and rips it out of her flesh, and runs off. My heart is beating very fast, and Sam is shaking.

"I… I couldn't kill her," she stutters, "I don't think I could kill anyone. Even if they were about to kill me."

"It's okay. At least she probably won't mess with us again," I reply, "do you still want to go to the Cornucopia, or should we treat the wound first?"

"I'll just wash it out with the spring water, so we can go there now." She pours the water on her wound, and we're off.

We soon reach the hill where the pedestals were placed. Climbing up to the top, I can see the metal horn, and some figures surrounding it. I signal to Sam to stay out of sight of the figures, and I carefully lift my head over the hill so I can barely see what is there. The figures are definitely tributes, and looking closer, I can see who they are, which happens to be the entire Career alliance, excluding of course the deceased Hunter and Tonya. I wait for them to leave, but they just stand there. All of the supplies are in piles in front of the Cornucopia. I guess that was the Careers' camp.

In the grass, I see Aqua. She's sitting there with an axe to her left and a trident to her right, looking surprisingly peaceful. Another of the Careers sits next to her, her District partner, Parker. They look bored. I really don't understand how you can possibly be bored while you're fighting for your life. I'm constantly alert and waiting for someone to come and kill me, but she's just sitting around waiting for someone to come to her so she can kill them. It sickens me.

I finally stop spying on them and turn to Sam. "The Careers are using the Cornucopia as their camp. There's no chance of going in and getting alive."

"Then I guess we should go back to the forest."

We walk back, keeping an eye on the surroundings to see any hiding tributes. We get back to the same place we had our camp in before. I can tell that it's the one because of the open space we were sleeping in. The arena starts to get dark soon after we arrive. The days seem to be much faster than normal, but I guess the Gamemakers can alter the brightness of the arena to give the effect that it's night. We take a sip of water a bit of bread for dinner, and the Capitol's anthem starts to play.

Displayed in the sky is first Tonya from Three, as expected, and Sophia from eleven. I feel sorry for her; she should never have been in the arena. That makes twelve dead and twelve alive. I still can't believe Cyrus lasted this long, he should've run into the Careers at some point, or at least some other tribute.

I take first watch while Sam sleeps. After my watch is finished, I drift off to sleep.

* * *

_But my heart it burned out 'til there was no more_

_Still I wait on the ground_

_I don't know what for_

* * *

**'My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me' by Little Green Cars**


	17. Help I'm Alive

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**I am not Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

_I tremble_

_They're gonna eat me alive_

_If I stumble_

_They're gonna eat me alive_

* * *

I'm on watch in the morning while the sun is coming up. Before I can wake up Sam, a cannon goes off. BANG! She awakes suddenly, frightfully looking around. She sees me, and calms down. She still is breathing pretty heavily though.

"Wow, I was really worried it was you or someone nearby," she says, "I wonder who it was though."

I think about it. "Well, the tributes left are Stingra from One, Aqua and Parker from Two, Edison from Three, Rosie and Jack from Four, Maya from Six, Chuck from Seven, Constance from Ten, Cyrus from Twelve, and us. Between them, I'd say it was probably Cyrus."

"Probably. But how do you keep track of everyone, I can barely remember anyone's name, I surely can't list everyone that's alive!" she exclaims.

"I don't know. I guess I just committed them to memory so I could remember who I have a chance of running into. When my sister, Katniss, was in the Games, she only knew the names of about five or six of them."

"The only people I can remember other than us are my District partner, Maya, and some of the Careers. The rest are just blurs."

"So what should we do today?" I ask.

"I don't know. All we can hope for is stuff from sponsors."

Right after she says it, I look up to the sky to see a parachute floating down. When is descends to where I can reach it, I open it up to see the contents. It has another bottle, filled to the brim with fresh water, four strips of jerky, and a small knife. I show it to Sam.

"You should keep the knife," she tells me, "and the water bottle, I'll keep the other one. We can each take two slivers of the jerky."

"Okay," I agree.

"I think we'll be getting a lot more of this. You are probably the most well-liked person in the Games."

I smile, I know she's right. We can keep ourselves hydrated and full from the water and food we get from the sponsors. And if either of us gets hurt or sick, we will be provided with medicine. We'll be ready when the Careers come. Except of course, we won't be able to fight. Sam has her bow, but that can only be used well for long-distance targets. I have my knife, but it will be nothing compared to Aqua's axe or trident. And I don't think either of us would be good at hand-to-hand combat.

About a half hour later, another cannon sounds. BANG! Soon after that there's yet another one. BANG!

"I guess the Careers are on the prowl," I remark.

"We have to stay out of sight if they come," Sam adds, "I bet we could climb that tree." She point in front of us to a tree with low branches, one that can be easily climbed.

"Yeah, probably."

We sit around for a while, but the Careers don't come, thankfully. There are only nine of us left. Half of them are probably the Careers, depending on who had recently died. When I had seen that there were eight of them, I thought that it would be impossible for anyone else to win. I guess I was right.

"Do you want to explore more of the arena?" Sam asks.

"Sure," I reply, "we have to be very quiet though. We can't risk an attack."

"Okay."

I have no interest in looking around. All I need to know is where I can hide in case of an attack, and where our camp is. Nowhere else matters to me. But I'll go anyways.

We decide to venture farther south of the arena. When we walk down to that section, it seems at first that the forest goes on forever. Finally, we find the edge. When the trees stop popping up, we find a huge lake. On the other side of it are more trees, but not enough for it to be considered a forest. The lake is so peaceful and calming, but unnerving at the same time. It feels that at any moment, someone, or something, will jump out and kill me.

Sam seems a bit nervous too. "I think we should go back now, I like the looks of this place way too much."

"Same."

We don't run into anything on the way back. Things have been too peaceful in the Games, or at least to me they are. I'm sure others would disagree. Finally, we hear a rustling noise. We're alarmed, and we scatter. Sam ascents up a nearby tree, silently calling for me to follow. I do, and the source of the noise doesn't appear to see us. It's Chuck. We're done for if he finds us, as he's carrying a huge axe. Sam accidently leans against a leaf, and it crunches under her weight. Chuck hears it, but looks to the tree next to us, and runs off in that direction. I'm quite relieved.

Once Chuck is out of eyeshot, we climb back down. Our camp wasn't in the direction he was headed in, so we don't have to worry about him again. We somehow find our way back to the camp again, and it seems to be getting dark.

We sit around for a while, then the anthem starts playing. The faces in the sky are Jack from Four's, Constance from Ten's, and, Cyrus', my District partner. I'm surprised about Jack, but there are still five Careers left. Constance wasn't really a astonishment, but only because of her lack of an alliance. And Cyrus seemed obvious, I really don't see how he had even gotten this far.

Sam tells me that she's taking first watch, so I go to sleep on the forest floor.

* * *

_I get wherever I'm going_

_I get whatever I need_

_While my blood's still flowing_

_And my heart's still beating like a hammer_

* * *

**'Help I'm Alive' by Metric**

**Please read the character descriptions on my profile, follow, favorite, review, and submit a tribute for my new story, 'The Mary-Sue Games'.**


	18. Wandering Eyes

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Sorry about the lateness everyone! I'll try to update at least every other day from now on. And I have gotten a request to make a sequel, so I have taken up the offer! Yay! And just so you know: Prim's POV will last until chapter twenty, then it will go back to Aqua. I estimate that there will be 22 chapters by the end.**

**And I don't own the Hunger Games...**

* * *

_Cower mine you do remind_

_The wasps and bees that stung my side_

_Poison ivy hanging on the wall_

* * *

BANG! I'm sleeping when the first cannon sounds, but after that, I'm awake. It's always startling when I hear one, mainly because it means someone died. I wouldn't mind the sound if it meant a kitten was born, or if it meant I got free chocolate. Something of that nature**. **But sadly, it doesn't.

Sam hands me the pack, and I take half of a strip of jerky out for my breakfast. It's starting to feel like when I lived in the Seam and went without food for days on end. Then I realize the obvious: sponsors love me. If I run out of food, more will be provided before I blink my eyes. And with that, I finish the entire strip. I know it doesn't seem like much, but eating that much at a time now feels like eating a whole meal.

BANG! There's another cannon. Two deaths in less than five minutes. I have to guess that this had something to do with the Careers tracking down someone who had recently killed someone else. I wonder what people will think if my cannon ever sounds. I shouldn't say that. I should say, _when _my cannon sounds. I have to face the facts, and the facts are that I will die soon. I have no weapon, except my puny knife, only one ally, and someone is set on killing me. When you add these ingredients together, you end up with a recipe for death.

I suddenly want to do something, anything other than just sit here and wait for death to come creeping through the trees. Waiting is something I've never enjoyed, and now is no exception. I stand up.

"Come on Sam, we're going somewhere!" I announce.

She looks at me quizzically. "Like what?" She asks.

"I don't know exactly," I answer, "I just want to go somewhere. Don't ask me why, but this forest is starting to get on my nerves. I think I need a change of scenery. And I don't want to wait for something to happen to us, I want to be prepared."

Sam just shrugs. "Okay, but where do you want to go? What do you want to do that won't end up getting us killed? _Is _there anything we can do that doesn't end in either of us dying?"

By the last sentence she spoke, Sam looked anxious. She was right about how almost everything we could do could easily get us killed, but I can't go on like this for much longer. "Let's just slink around. Maybe go to the meadow, or somewhere around there."

"Fine by me. We just have to take everything with us."

We pack up and leave immediately. I can tell Sam is tentative of my decision, but she goes along with me anyways. I now know the way out of the forest by memory, so we don't have to meander around like helpless fools. Up ahead I can see the trees start to taper out. The earthy dirt turns to spring green grass, and the sun is now visible through the branches. It has a much cheerier ambiance to it than the woodland we settled in. Sam seems a bit more cheerful now that she out of the darkness, but I know that behind her bright eyes there lies a deep concern for her own life, and she hasn't loosened her clutch on her bow.

"Oh my gosh! You're right!" I hear a voice nearby exclaim.

Sam and I look at each other and duck down. There's nothing to hide us from whoever is in a close proximity, but at least they won't be able to see us as easily. I look up, and it turns out the voice came from one other than Aqua Pyrette. Oh yay. It looks like she is talking to her District partner, Parker. Double yay. The good thing is that they haven't seen us. And there's one thing about this that is confusing me: why are two bloodthirsty killers sitting around talking when they could be out slaughtering children?

Just then, I hear a bloodcurdling scream coming from the direction of the Cornucopia. Aqua and Parker must recognize the voice, because they go running towards it. That was close. Sam looks terrified though. We should probably go back to the forest and out of the way of the remaining tributes. If that person wouldn't have screamed from the Cornucopia, we would've been dead within a few minutes.

We solemnly stroll back to the camp, making sure we don't catch the attention of anyone else. Sam was right about it not being safe, I wish I would've listened to her. But we didn't die, so that was a plus.

"I knew it," Sam states, "I knew we should've stayed back. That was way too close. Next time, we probably won't be as lucky, and we will die."

I bow my head down, not wanting to look into her accusing gaze. This is all my fault, I know it, and so does Sam. I can't be so careless next time, if there is a next time. I hope I won't want to leave any time soon, and even if I do, I won't listen to myself.

I look over to Sam. She's sitting in silence with an odd look in her eyes, like a mixture of fear and innocence. I wonder what exactly is going through her mind. Come to think of it, I barely know anything about her. I'm sure she knows everything about me, everyone does. I think I should get to know her better, I mean, she's probably the person I'll be spending my last moments of life with, or vice versa. And why did she want to ally with me in the first place? And I also feel a need to change the subject.

"Tell me about yourself, Sam," I say.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" she asks.

I think about it. "Well, first thing I have to ask is about why you allied with me. Also, just things about your family and things in District Eight."

"Truthfully, I allied with you because you reminded me of my younger sister, and I needed an ally, so you were the obvious choice, as you needed an ally too," she explains, "And about my family? Well, I have a younger sister, as I said. Her name is Lilac, she's ten years old, and looks a lot like you. She's pretty shy and quiet, too. Both my mom and dad work as weavers, and we are very poor. And District Eight is a horrible place; it's so dreary and has no greenery to be seen. What about District Twelve?"

"Before Katniss won the Games, we lived in the Seam, which is the poorest part of the District. My father was a coal miner, but one day the mine blew up and he died. Since we no longer had enough money to buy food, Katniss illegally hunted in the woods and sold the animals so she could pay for food. She no longer has to do that though. Now, we live in the only nice part of the District; Victor's Village. There are only three occupied houses there."

"You're so fortunate to have her as a sister," Sam says.

"Yeah…"

"I hope none of the Careers win, they're probably already richer than Victors in poor Districts," I add.

"I agree."

I'm surprised there hasn't yet been another cannon after what happened at the Cornucopia. I thought someone had tried to kill a Career and run away, but there was no cannon for the Career or the attacker. It seems quite odd.

Now that I know what lies on the outside of the woods, where I am is more relaxing. It's the only place where I feel safe. Soon, the arena falls dark. Through the tree branches, I can see the fallen come up. It's Stingra from One and Maya from Six. The death count is starting to dwindle, so I hope the Gamemakers are satisfied and don't try to throw something in our faces to get us to come together and kill each other. But then again, you never know.

* * *

_Snakes and burns_

_The earth's best friends_

_They warn us all and cause the world to rotate_

_To, rotate_

* * *

**'Wandering Eyes' by Kopecky Family Band**


	19. Help!

**Chapter Nineteen:**

**Suzanne Collins owns The Hunger Games, not me.**

* * *

_Help!_

_I need somebody_

_Help!_

_Not just anybody_

_Help!_

_You know I need someone_

_Help!_

* * *

Sam's asleep when the announcement sounds throughout the arena.

"There will be a feast at the Cornucopia today. It will commence in an hour. May the odds be ever in your favor."

Sam still has her eyes closed when she first speaks. "We aren't going," she mumbles.

This time, I didn't even want to. Yes, we are running out of food and water, but my sponsors can take care of that for me. We could also use some rope for traps as well. If we weren't going to kill anyone by force, we could at least use the rope to capture someone. Let's see… the only tributes left are Aqua, Parker, Edison and Rosie, the Careers, and also Chuck, Sam, and I. With the Careers camping at the Cornucopia, there isn't any chance for anyone to get their things and leave without dying or having to kill a few others. So I think that staying back would be a decent idea.

But at least with everyone fighting it out at the Cornucopia, there won't be anyone to come after us. I wonder if Chuck will go. Probably, he can actually fight. The only others are the Careers, so he has not shot of coming out alive. Unless one of the Careers left, but that would've been a terrible idea, and if I were them, I wouldn't want to face them again. It would be a suicide mission; the others would happily kill someone who betrayed them.

After Sam and I eat breakfast, the feast inaugurates. Close by, I hear someone running. I push Sam back behind a tree, and far from us I can see Chuck rushing towards the Cornucopia. I bet he thinks that if he gets there before anyone else, he could get his pack and get out. Too bad some people have been there for the entire Games. He does have an axe though, but I'm pretty sure that's no match for three or four Careers.

Sam and I creep back out. A few of minutes go by before a cannon sounds, but one does. BANG! I'd have to guess that it is for Chuck. At least he put up a fight. BANG! There's another one. Maybe Chuck killed someone, and then someone else killed him. Still, I'm sure he's dead by now. I hope we disappointed Aqua and the others by not going. They might not have expected us to actually come, but we probably frustrated them at least. Though the problem with that was that we made them hate us more, just what we need.

So now there are five alive and nineteen dead. I'm quite surprised I made it this far, really. I never imagined I would even end up in the top ten, much less the top five. I'm even more surprised that I've only seen one of the deaths so far. Some others have happened close by, but I didn't personally witness them, thankfully. Watching another person suffer would be the same as me suffering myself.

The feast may not have been as successful as planned though. The first sign telling me this was the sound of a strange animal nearby. Sam doesn't look like she's heard it, but I'm weary of it.

"Get your bow out, Sam," I quietly say.

"Why?" she questions.

"I think there's a mutt in the forest," I respond.

Sam listens closer, and her eyes widen. She not only takes out her bow, but also knocks an arrow in it. I have my knife wavering in my hand, turning around in circles and watching for the mutt. The first one leaps towards Sam. She releases her arrow, and the creature falls to the ground, dead. Examining it closer, I can see that it is a wolverine. I've never seen one before in real life, only in pictures, but this one looks much larger.

Sam and I let our guard down, thinking that there was only the one, but more swarm around us in a circular formation. Two try to attack at the same time, one going for me, and one going for Sam. Sam shoots her attacker, but my knife is helping me much. I stab at the wolverine mutt, but it still tries to get me. I scream, and the mutt knocks me over. It's towering over my face, but before it can kill me, Sam fires another arrow. The problem now is that the mutts think I'm weak, which I am, and they all attack us suddenly. There's a huge mass of furry beasts all over us, and I'm stabbing wildly at them, killing at least two and wounding many more in the process.

Most of them have left Sam and are now moving on to a more helpless target: me. I guess this is the end. Ten livid creatures all circle me, ready to leap. I close my eyes and hope that my death is quick and painless.

But the agony never comes, so I open my eyes to see Sam violently bombards the creatures with more arrows, hitting each straight through the heart. The living ones flee in terror, and Sam stands breathing heavily above the dead ones, scratches all over her. I guess I owe her my life now.

"Th-thank you Sam…" I stutter.

"No problem," she breathes.

I bet the Gamemakers are tremendously irate now. There was a feast _and _a mutt attack, but it only resulted in two deaths.

I really think the Gamemakers are messing with the time. It should probably only be about two pm now, but the arena is falling dark already. And now the Capitol's anthem is playing as well. It turns out that the tributes that died in the feast were Edison from Three and Chuck from seven. No surprise there.

* * *

_And now my life has changed in oh so many ways_

_My independence seems to vanish in the haze_

_But every now and then I feel so insecure_

_I know that I just need you like I've never done before_

* * *

**'Help!' by The Beatles**


	20. Across The Universe

**Chapter Twenty:**

**I'm not Suzanne Collins.**

**Okay, this is a very short chapter. There will be at least two more after this, plus a sequel. Yay! Sequel! I hope you enjoy this, tell me in reviews what you think!**

* * *

_Pools of sorrow waves of joy_

_Are drifting through my open mind_

_Possessing and caressing me_

* * *

"Wake up Prim, wake up! We need to go, now!" Sam is hurriedly whispering into my ear. I sit up, and find that the sun is completely up, and that I must've slept in too late. I don't know what Sam is stressing about, though. She has a frightened look in her eyes, so I must assume that it's not good news.

"They're coming," she murmurs again, "we have to leave. Get your knife and come with me."

Suddenly, I hear it. Approximately three people walking in the forest. It's the Careers. I don't have time to get adjusted to the light; I stand straight up, pick up my pathetic knife, and go after Sam, who is already running. She's ahead of me when I hear them speak.

"GO!" one of them yells, and I'm pretty sure that it's Aqua. I sprint closer to Sam with a desperate need to get away. I finally am running side by side with her, but I realize that running away from your troubles gets you nowhere. I look to her, and she looks to me, and we spin around, facing the Careers. I see Aqua in the lead with Parker and Rosie close behind them. They don't stop running, so Sam holds up her bow, equipped with an arrow, and shoots at Aqua. I think that this might be her time to die, but I'm very disappointed with the results. Aqua swats away the arrow with the trident she is carrying. Yay. She has a weapon.

I see Sam try to shoot again at Aqua, and I silently hope that she doesn't make her angrier, but at the last moment, she changes the path of the arrow and swerves it towards an unsuspecting Rosie. BANG! The arrow makes contact with her neck. Aqua looks surprised, but mostly she looks even hungrier for my blood. Sam and I take off again, but Sam gets her foot stuck under a root, and blunders to the side. Oh no.

The boy from Two, Parker, grasps onto her jacket collar, and thrusts her small body to the ground. He proceeds to kill her with a weapon I'd never seen used in the Games before, hedge trimmers. He punctures her stomach open.

"AHHHH!" she shrieks, but he doesn't stop. BANG! My only ally is dead, and I will probably die soon as well. I tear through the forest at a faster pace, but I'm no match for a bloodthirsty Career. Aqua grabs onto my shirt with a massive hand and pushes me down.

I feel that I'm already dead. I'm not though, and I need to think of a way to get out of this. I do have the knife, and it doesn't seem like Aqua knows it. I need time to plan this through. But how? I have to think of something clever to say that will give me time to think, and I think I may know what it is.

"Oh Prim, you may think that the Games are almost over, but I believe that they've only just begun," she threatens. I've never been more terrified in my life. I look over her shoulder to her District partner. Are they going to kill each other after I'm dead? I don't think she planned this out very well ahead of time. Or maybe I'm just missing some obvious fact.

There is malevolence in her aqua-colored eyes. I can't say that I've ever seen someone so eager to kill. And she's probably never seen someone so ready to die.

* * *

_Sounds of laughter shades of life _

_Are ringing through my opened ears_

_Inciting and inviting me_

_Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns_

_It calls me on and on _

_Across the universe_

* * *

**'Across the Universe' by The Beatles**

**Keep reading and reviewing! Next chapter you'll find out who lives and who dies! I should probably wait a bit to post it, and make this chapter an even more annoying cliffhanger, but I won't unless I don't finish the next chapter in time. I should though, I have most of it typed already!**


	21. Come With Me Now

**Chapter Twenty One:**

**Are you ready for this?! It is epic! And about twice as long as the other chapters! Also I don't own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

_I was born without this fear_

_Now only this seems clear_

_I need to move_

_I need to fight_

_I need to loose myself tonight_

* * *

I can see the undeniable terror in her eyes. She knows that I will torture her bit by bit, letting her moans fall into the sky. And believe me, they will.

She speaks to me for the first time ever. "What are you supposed to do when I'm dead? You'll be left to kill your little _boyfriend _over there. Are you just gonna kill him or what?" She's starting to sound like me. How cute. But I'm too angry to take this.

"What did you say, Prim? You think he's my _boyfriend_? Do you seriously think that just because your sister was in the Games with someone that was in love with her means that something along those lines happens every year? This isn't a game of love; it's a game of hatred. As for him, I won't have to kill him. You just wait and see." I stop to look at her, batting my eyelashes. "Oh, I'm sorry; you won't get to see it. Hm. Pity."

Now I just had to think of interesting ways to kill her. I look around me, and I can see that I will be able to use my trident or axe, Parker's hedge trimmers, or Rosie's knives.

"Gimme Rosie's vest, Parker," I command with a savage look in my eyes.

He slips the vest off of her dead body awkwardly, obviously not wanting to touch her cold skin. He then releases many small throwing knives from it and hands me the pile of them. I take a particularly jagged one out of the lot of them. I twirl it around in my hands, looking to the sky for ideas. The wait is unbearable, but I know I can't just plunge the knife through her chest, I have to make it last forever, or sometime close to forever anyways.

While pondering, I feel I sharp pain in my upper leg. I jump and let out a small cry. Just what she wanted. Prim leaps away from me and starts running away like a deer trying to escape a hungry wolf. Parker runs after her, but she turns out to be quicker than he thought. I press my hand to my moist wound and go after her as well. She didn't get the knife very far into my leg, so it only slows me down a bit.

I jog along with multiple weapons in each of my hands. I force my feet to move faster so I can at least see Prim and Parker, who are far ahead of me. I finally see them, and Prim is heading somewhere with Parker at her heels, and she seems to know where she is going.

At this point I'm breathing pretty heavily, but I won't stop running now. Prim and Parker go through an opening in the trees to some sort of a clearing. After they go through the trees and leave my sight, I hear a scream in Prim's voice. I hobble quickly through to the clearing. I turns out to be a circular area surrounded by the forest with a lake in the middle. Parker has Prim pinned against a tree with one of Rosie's knives to her throat. I know I don't have to worry about him killing her, though. That's my job.

"Please kill me fast! I've done nothing wrong, and my sister only killed your brother because she had to!" she wails as I stroll in.

Pathetic. "You don't understand the situation at all! Of course you are right in saying that you've done nothing wrong, but that isn't the point! I'm only torturing you so that your family can feel the pain of losing you, and mine can feel the triumph over the person that killed Cato! I'm only using you to get my well-deserved revenge on Katniss Everdeen!"

"You sicken me!" she spats back, "What about everyone you killed? Don't you think that _their _families want _you_ dead? There's absolutely no difference!"

"Oh believe me, there's a _huge _difference! Those people had no choice but to enter the Games! They were bound to end up dead! Cato, on the other hand, volunteered to go into the Games! He worked his entire life to do this, he wasn't just randomly selected. He would've won if it weren't for your sister," I retort.

Prim looks horrified. Deep down, I'm sure she knows that I'm right. She also knows that she's about to die an unhurried, excruciatingly agonizing demise. Suddenly, a sponsor gift falls from the sky into my open arms. Opening it up, I find a strange yellow liquid. I'm quite confused at first, but then I read the note: 'One of your sponsors really seems to hate Prim, and wants to make her death even more torturous. You'll figure out how to use it soon enough. –Enobaria.' Then it hits me. It was a gift of lemon juice. Hooray.

I get a malevolent glare in my eyes, and smile sweetly, much like a psychopath. "This has become much too fun for me to handle!" I laugh. I turn to Parker. "You have a knife?" He nods. I smile. "Then get cutting."

He takes a knife out, as do I. Prim doesn't dare move from the tree she was pinned against; she's only awaiting her torture. She will feel it soon.

I make the first move. I stab my deadly knife into her shoulder and drag it down her arm, careful not to hit the veins in her wrist like Rosie did to Maya when she killed her. I signal to Parker to do the same thing to her other arm. Prim squints her eyes and winces from the pain, obviously trying not to show what she actually feels.

"That's only the beginning, little girl," Parker threatens.

On that note, I get a genius idea. I take the note from Enobaria out of the parachute. Both Prim and Parker look at me quizzically, as if wondering how I could torture her with a piece of paper. I knew how I would do it. I only smirk at Prim and look at her through my glittering eyes. Everyone watching must think that I'm a lunatic, or I'm completely mad. Good for them.

I whip the edge of the paper to Prim's cheek, and she grimaces from the paper cut. There will be so many more where that came from. I tear off half of the paper and hand it to Parker, mentally telling him to do the same thing as I am.

We each slash more and more gashes into Prim's face with the paper, and now it looks like she had gills. And someone with gills should go swimming. But not now, that will have to wait. Now it was time for the lemon juice. I don't know if Prim ever realized what it was, but she will know soon. This will be was too enjoyable.

Parker steps back and lets me face Prim head on. "You ready to feel some _real _pain?" She looks disturbed, so I guess she figured it out. "Well, here it comes!" I pour the lemon juice into her cuts, and she erupts in shrieks. Tears stream down her cheeks, and there is panic in her eyes. All I can do is laugh.

"That's what I thought, Prim," I remark, "But do know, this isn't the end." I figure that if President Snow were to let Parker and I both win, he'd want him to do some of the dirty work too. So I reluctantly hand him the bottle. He has no motive to torture Prim, but he seems to have fun with it anyways. Watching him cruelly torment her, and listening to her screams reminds me of the deceased members of my alliance. I really think that Hunter, Stingra, Rosie, and Jack should all be here right now, watching it as well.

"Stop it, just STOP IT!" she hollers, but he has no desire to stop, nor do I. Parker hands me the bottle back so I can have even more fun.

"Hmm, let me think about that… No," I sarcastically answer while smirking at her, and drizzle more onto her wounds. Screeches of aguish erupt from her bloodied lips. I believe that when I emerge as victor, I will somehow change the definition of the word 'fun'. This is better than what any dictionary could describe. I even start giggling a little bit, and believe me, I _never_ giggle.

I wonder if the Capitol loves me. Or do they hate me? I'm sure this is one of the most violent tortures in Hunger Games history. I've made a point to watch every single Games since the very first one, and I'd never seen lemon juice used as a torturing method, which I find surprising. I think the sponsor who gave it to me may be my new favorite person in Panem. Just for even more fun, I cut her some more, and Parker happily joins in, scraping more and more lines into her pale flesh. I still think that this is the definition of fun. People must think I'm extremely sadistic by now. If they don't, well, obviously they haven't been paying much attention to the Games lately.

I stand back to gaze upon my work. Prim's using the tree to keep herself from collapsing onto the ground. She's got bloody wounds all over her face and body, the crimson liquid spilling out onto the grassy terrain. I believe that now is the time for her death, but I have to now think about what to do for that. But I think I'll stick with the drowning idea, it seems like a torturous way to die.

So I walk back over to her, and she has dread pulsating off of her skin. I grab onto her shoulder and pull her to the deep, dark, lake. I release her, and she falls to the ground with her face next to the water. But I think I may have a way to make this even more enjoyable. I step into the water, dragging Prim behind me. She struggles, so I have a hard time getting a grip on her neck. The lake is much deeper than I had thought it would be, and soon I'm up to my shoulders in it, and Prim can barely keep her head above water.

I turn my head to the sky where I think the cameras are. "This is what you get for killing Cato, Katniss!"

I plunge Prim's head under the water with my hands on her throat. I close my hands around it completely, and force her under even more. I strangle her with no mercy, why should I have any mercy? I've been dreaming about this day for six years. Actually, I always imagined it being Katniss, but this is close enough.

I see Prim's eyes open, giving me look as if asking, 'Why?', and then the cannon goes off. BANG. I stretch my neck up to the sky, waiting for an announcement. Here it comes. You see, every year President Snow makes a small speech when a victor emerges. The only time it never happened was when Katniss and Peeta were left and almost killed themselves. He didn't like that very much. And neither did I.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the victors of the 80th Annual Hunger Games, Aqua Pyrette and Parker Brown!" I think my heart just stopped. "Under normal circumstances, two victors wouldn't both be allowed to win, but I have a good reason to let this be an exception. These two show the rebels that they mean nothing. Two people like Aqua and Parker shall always be spared, while two rebels will be left to die. They have both been brave in the face of danger and fearless when the goings get tough. They should be very proud of themselves."

Did that seriously just happen?!

I look over to Parker, who looks just about as stunned as I am. "We won," I say. "We won."

* * *

_Afraid to loose control_

_And caught up in this world_

_I've wasted time_

_I've wasted breath_

_I think I've thought myself to death_

* * *

**'Come With Me Now' by KONGOS**

**If you weren't sure that Aqua was a psychopath before reading this, I'm sure you've changed your mind. There will be one more chapter after this, the Victory Tour. After that, there will be a sequel. So you don't have to be depressed, because I'm not finished yet! Yay!**

**And the torture idea came from Maya Kallos, just so you know...**

**Tributes:**

**District One**

Stingra Heart, 17, 9 (killed by Maya when she hit her skull with her bludgeon) 9th place

Hunter Topaz, 16, 9 (killed by Chuck, when he went back to the camp in the dark) 15th place

**District Two**

**Aqua Pyrette, 18, 11 (Victor) 1****st**** place **

**Parker Brown, 18, 10 (Victor) 1****st**** place**

**District Three**

Tonya Locks, 15, 8 (killed by squid-mutt when she went to get fresh water) 13th place

Edison Well, 14, 9 (killed by Rosie when she stabbed him in the throat with a throwing knife) 6th place

**District Four**

Rosie Caspar, 13, 10 (killed by Sam when she shot an arrow into her neck) 5th place

Jack Zellman, 16, 9 (poisoned by Constance's daggers, then killed by the acid bog water) 10th place

**District Five**

Victoria Willow, 15, 4 (killed by Rayvenn when she repeatedly stabbed her in the shoulder and neck) 17th place

Rayn Simon, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when she stepped on his throat during the Bloodbath) 24th place

**District Six**

Maya Kallos, 16, 8 (killed by Rosie when she slit her wrists and died from blood loss) 8th place

Blaze Hummin, 14, 6 (killed by Stingra when she stabbed him in the stomach with her sword during the Bloodbath) 22nd place

**District Seven**

Karlie Percy, 16, 6 (killed by Hunter when he speared her when she tried to run away from the Bloodbath) 23rd place

Chuck Woods, 17, 9 (killed by Aqua when she stabbed him in the heart with her battle axe) 7th place

**District Eight**

Samantha McCollin, 13, 7 (killed by Parker when he cut her stomach open with his hedge trimmers) 4th place

Edward Karin, 15, 5 (killed by Parker when he cut his stomach open with hedge trimmers in the Bloodbath) 21st place

**District Nine**

Rayvenn Bright, 13, 6 (killed by Aqua when she cornered her and then threw her trident at her neck) 16th place

Bob Corrmin, 12, 3 (killed by Aqua when he came out from hiding and she stabbed him in the stomach with her axe) 18th place

**District Ten**

Constance Peng, 18, 8 (killed by Jack when he hit her into the poison bog with his hammer) 11th place

Asher Trett, 17, 5 (stabbed in the back by Aqua with her trident when he was running from the Bloodbath) 19th place

**District Eleven**

Sophia Cherrey, 12, 4 (killed by Constance when she slit her throat) 14th place

Alex Tanner, 15, 6 (killed by Rosie when she threw a knife at him in the Bloodbath) 20th place

**District Twelve**

Primrose Everdeen, 18, 7 (strangled and drowned to death by Aqua) 3rd place

Cyrus Juniper, 17, 3 (killed by Jack when he stabbed him with a knife and then hit his head with his hammer) 12th place


	22. READ THIS!

**Hello readers! This story is continued in a sequel, 'The 81st Hunger Games: A Return of Past Victors'. I'm up to chapter two!**

**And since there must be a bit of the story in each chapter...**

**Aqua and I are yelling at you, while Parker is in the back getting a headache from both of us**

Aqua: READ THE SEQUEL ALREADY! I DIDN'T WIN SO YOU COULD SIT AROUND AND BE DONE WITH ME!

Me: EXACTLY! YOU MUST SEE HER AS A VERY OBNOXIOUS MENTOR!

Aqua: OBNOXIOUS?! LIKE PEOPLE DON'T GET ANNOYED WITH YOU TO THE POINT OF ATTACKING YOU!

Me: TRUTHFULLY, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME!

Aqua: SERIOUSLY?

Me: YES, SERIOUSLY! I'M AS SURPRISED AS YOU ARE!

Aqua: THEN YOU'VE GOTTA BE PRETTY SURPRISED!

Me: **mutters** If I actually knew how to use any kind of weapon...

Parker: Back to the point... Aqua is an annoying mentor, and-

Aqua: REALLY?! YOU TOO?!

Parker: Yep.

Aqua: I've had it with you people... **storms out of room**

Parker: So anyways... If you want to read about Aqua getting attacked by Katniss and some other people that hate her, read the sequel: 'The 81st Hunger Games: A Return of Past Victors'. A story with a very creative title.

Me: And you think _you _could think of a better one?

Parker: **thinks for a while** If I thought about it long enough, probably.

Me: You know I don't think about things. I just take the easy way out.

Parker: And to think, you've gotten over _sixty _positive reviews.

Me: And I deserve every one of them. So if you reviewed, I thank you. Even the person that called Aqua a psycho and asked if she were dropped on her head when she was a baby. That was pretty funny.

Parker: Personally, I was surprised there weren't more of those.

Me: Right?! The rest said I gave the Career a more 'human side'. I DIDN'T TRY THAT! I was hoping for more of a 'bloodthirsty murder' kinda feel.

Parker: Exactly. Someone even said, 'OMG whatever you do, don't kill Aqua and Parker! I almost died when he almost died!' As much as I appreciated that, I was very surprised to see it.

Aqua: **storms back into room** Okay, so for the record, I WAS NOT DROPPED ON MY HEAD WHEN I WAS A BABY! AND I HAVE NO 'HUMAN' SIDE!

Parker: How would you remember it if you were?

Aqua: **stares at Parker, clearly infuriated** I would- **thinks a little more** I- You know what, I'm leaving for the LAST TIME!

Me: Have fun trying to get sponsors!

Aqua: **makes annoyed grunt audible from outside of room**

Me: You know what I don't get? Why everyone was talking about how much they hate Prim. What's so bad about her? Personally, I don't love her obviously, but I don't hate her.

Parker: Yeah, she really wasn't that bad.

Me: Thank you!

Parker: **thinks about something** Hey, didn't I die in the first version of this?

Me: **stays silent** ...Maybe?

Parker: **glares at me**

Me: ...And Aqua may have killed you...

Parker: **still glaring**

Me: ...And you may have died in a fiery inferno as well...

Parker: **glares even more**

Me: So... Here are five fun facts about the first copy of this that Parker won't kill me over! One: Prim wasn't actually in it, and the girl from 12 was the first kill. Two: Chuck killed Rosie. Three: Sam killed Edison, who never betrayed the Careers. Four: Almost everyone had a different name, but I decided to save them for other stories. Five: It was _hand written._ You wouldn't believe how badly my fingers hurt after writing it.

Parker: And one more! It was awful! Pure garbage that took two years to write! Ask someone who read the original!

Me: Thanks for the support, Parker.

Parker: You can't deny the truth!

Me: ...Yeah it was really bad...

Parker: That's what I thought.

Anonymous Ghost: **floats into room** YOU KILLED ME, EMBRINA!

Me: And... Who are you?

Anonymous Ghost: Really? YOU CREATED ME!

Me: **blank stare**

Anonymous Ghost: Karlie? Karlie Percy?

Parker: The name sounds familiar...

Karlie's Ghost: I WAS IN THE HUNGER GAMES WITH YOU!

Me: Oh yeah... I did create you...

Parker: Weren't you like... The second person dead in the Bloodbath?

Karlie's Ghost: I'M NOT JUDGING _YOU_!

Me: Okay ghost of a very minor character that nobody knows anything about, including me... Can you leave now?

Karlie's Ghost: I will leave now, but I _will _be back... **floats out of room**

Parker: I think we should end this before anything more... _Interesting _happens...

Me: Agreed. So there you have it, the most complex way to tell someone you to read the sequel to this!

Parker: So if you actually took the time to read all of this, there is no reason you wouldn't want to read the sequel!

Me: Yeah, only a _true _fan could stand to read this.

Aqua: **storms into room for second time** Yes! And if you don't, I WILL KILL YOU IN YOUR SLEEP!

Parker: Believe me, she will.

Aqua: Yes! So read about me! I am too amazing not to be obsessed with!

Me: So that's all I could think of for a creative ending! THE END!

**Yay! So this was really fun to write, and I was wondering what topic Aqua and some other people should discuss some other time... Have any ideas?**


End file.
